The Sacrifice of Life and Love
by Sweevil to the Heart
Summary: After a fight with Omega leaves most of the Flock dead and the living members separated in the Washington forests, there seems to be no hope. But when the Cullens find a dark-haired birdkid in their house, can they help him find the lost experiment? Fax!
1. The Beginnning of the End

Disclaimer: If owned Maximum Ride or Twilight I wouldn't be writing here on this website. This story takes place after STWAOES.

Full Summary: After a fight with Omega leaves most of the Flock dead and the living members separated in the Washington forests, there seems to be no hope. But when the Cullens find one dark-haired bird kid in their house, can they help him find the other lost experiment and his last connection to the life he once had? Or have the wolves already found her?

FPOV: (A/N- I just love writing from his point of view; I do his point of view a lot easier than Max's)

We were in Washington.

I truly had no clue why we were though. We knew who Max's mom was now. So why didn't we go visit her? All of us; even me, I'll admit; have spent countless days dreaming of meeting our real parents and having them be wonderful people who love us even though we had two big bird's wings glued to our backs. And now Max has just that; a mom and half-sister who loved her with the wings, and even before they knew she was related to them! If I was her I would have ran, or in our case flew, straight to her in a heartbeat. Any of us would, even me, the emotionless brick wall.

But not Max.

All of us were shocked when Max decided to wait and tour the rest of the known continental United States before going to the little town in the middle of Arizona that her only living relatives-besides Jeb, who we see way much more than we are comfortable with, especially 'cause me and Max both still hate him and will never trust him again-that we knew of and that weren't dead, lived.

I will always regret that the last moments of Ari's life were spent with him protecting the girl who will always be my life and with me hating his winged-Eraserfied-frankensteiny guts. In the end, through all the jealousy and hate and to-the-death fights, Ari was just a misunderstood seven-year-old boy who got all mixed up in something that was too huge for him and in the end, destroyed him. But then again, this life destroys us all in some way or another.

A perfect example would be Max and her crazy ideas. I mean, what was the point of this? We were in the middle-of-freaking-nowhere, and I know the middle-of-nowhere when I'm in it because I've been in the middle-of-nowhere many times before my friend, and let me tell you, it is a very boring place to be. Right now, we were in the slap dab middle of one of the thickest and wettest forests I've ever been in the honor of camping in in my fourteen short years of life. I mean, right now we could be sipping on juice and eating chocolate chip cookies til the world ends. But instead we're all sitting on our soaked-through windbreakers surrounded by creepy trees that are covered in so much moss and other icky green mush that I can't tell what type of trees they are, munching on half-frozen Poptarts and Twinkies that we stole from some random camper's cooler ten miles back before he returned and tried to shoot us yelling, "You dam-sagget rascal children stealen' what's rightfully mine; how 'bout I shoot a few holes in yah? What do you think 'bout that?" We all collapsed in uncontrollable laughter after we escaped the crazed southern camper, and didn't stop for a good few minutes. Then Gazzy, the little creep, started mimicking his thickly-southern accented voice and yelling random insults about those 'dam-sagget rascal children' and we all started to die of laughter all over again. Though it was cut off prematurely when we heard the sound of a shotgun going off not twenty feet away from where we had collapsed. That was when we started running.

And now we have gone back full circle to our current situation. Angel and Nudge gossiping in one corner about some Beaver guy or something; I've heard him sing before, and let me tell you, I use to sing like him too, but then I turned three years old. Hope he hits puberty soon.

Gazzy and Iggy are in front of the burnt-out fire working on their latest bomb; it is suppose to be their largest and most destructive hand-held bomb they've ever made. I really don't understand their obsession with explosives, but then again nobody else does; the destruction in very useful when we're in a tight squeeze, but other than that explosives are unnecessary weapons that cause nothing but trouble.

Max was-well she was being Max. Beautiful, elegant, mesmerizing, unattainable… You get the point. I was absolutely, incomparably in love with her. I stared at her while she sat across from me.

Angel turned to look at me and grinned, before turning to Nudge and whispering something to her. Nudge whispered back, peeking at me momentarily. The two girls looked at me with goofy smiles on their faces and giggled. I glared back.

_Angel, don't read my mind_, I mentally screamed.

_Sorry Fang, but it's just so sweet how you think about Max. You care about her so much and you two make such perfect soul mates. Nudge agrees with me and calls you two "lovebirds" or Fax. Isn't that cool, you two already have a pet name! _Angel's thoughts entered my mind with the same clarity that her normal speaking voice would have pierced my ears. Ugh, annoying little winged mind-reading pest. She is the opposite of an angel; she's a demon of the evilest and cutest kind. Nudge too.

_Angel, I didn't want a pet name for me and Max. Max doesn't love me like that-she loves me like a best friend or a brother; nothing else. So stop pestering me and stay out of my head!_

_Yes she does-I've seen her thoughts, and I know for a fact that she loves you too. God, neither of you believes me when I tell you that the other loves you back; you're both in denial for some odd reason that I haven't found out yet. If it is embarrassment then don't worry everybody in the Flock; as in me, Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy, and Total; know that you two are crazy about each other. It's very obvious you know. _Angel's useless and silly words, or I guess thoughts, were starting to really annoy me; there was no way in the world that Max was in love with me like I was in love with her, it just wasn't possible. I sighed.

_Angel, just stop, you're starting to get on my nerves really fast. Me and Max's relationship is just complicated, OK? And it has to be that way; there is no other option. Me and Max dating -not that this will happen, this is a hypothetical case Angel- is an impossibility with her job as the Flock leader and having o save the world and all that crap. So please, just stay out of my thoughts Angel, please? _Maybe thinking kinder but still firm thoughts will get her out of my head for a while.

It worked.

_Fine Fang, since you said the magic word; and not pickles, the other magic word; I'll stop reading your thought FOR NOW. And I think that you guys dating wouldn't ruin anything in Flock; unless Iggy making sex jokes about you and Max is really that awful. You have to admit, the things he thinks of are gross but funny. If anything though, you guys getting together would help the Flock; but hey, whatever your guys want. It's _your _lives. Waste valuable time, see if I care. Even though I actually will. I really want you guys to happen. But _please_, ignore the telepath all you want, she isn't _reliable _or _right_ in _any way whatsoever_. _

By the end Angel sounded very much ticked, and I saw the scowl on her face and gave a tiny smirk. Man, she was sounding more like Max with her sarcasm every day. The time apart from the girls- and more importantly Max- was the most dreadful, stressful, horrible time of my life. I could barely sleep without hearing Max's soothing breathing right beside me. It did horrors to my sleeping routine. And my peace of mind. Not knowing where she was, what she was doing, or if she was all right plagued my fears every minute she was gone. I told her this the night after we reunited and she told me the same thing about her time away from me- that she was constantly worried, that it made her feel half empty, that she couldn't sleep. That warmed my heart a little bit and gave me a tiny sliver of hope that she cared for me too. At least a little bit. But hey, that was better than nothing. Plus the whole Valium scene was always running through my mind, fueling my hope. Stupid hope, it always killed me in the end.

Like now for example. While all I was doing was looking at her, Max wasn't even paying attention to me. She was staring out into the endless green woods that made a cage around the little clearing that we called our campsite. Sigh.

Max cocked her head, listening. I instantly started to listen too, wondering what it was she heard. As I focused my raptor hearing I could make out the sound of light footsteps landing on an earthy ground.

Trouble. Max immediately shushed the girls' talking and the guys' muttering. Everybody fell into a red alert as the footsteps got closer. Total, waking up from his nap in a patch of flowers, perked up and stood protectively in front of Angel, growling softly. He just loved her. Seconds later a teenage boy busted through the trees and underbrush.

Omega.

I recognized him from what Max, Nudge, Angel, and Total had described him to be. Yep, this guy was definitely a super boy. Ugh, this creep was going to get it, he was probably sent to terminate Max.

Only, I realized with a gasp from Max, he looked a bit different from the stories. He looked stronger and sleeker, his skin a shiny pale white color that twinkled in the sunlight like a disco ball. Creepy, and not natural either. His eyes were a startling rose red color that rocked me to my core.

He looked at me with those piercing eyes, and I had to restrain myself to keep from flinching under his gaze. I couldn't let him know he intimidated me, that would be a horrible mistake if we wanted to kill this guy. Yes, I meant kill, this guy had tried to hurt my beloved Max, so he _must_ die.

Omega's eyes shifted away from me and to Max and saw her flinch under the frightening gaze. Omega smirked.

Wait a second, smirked!

Omega didn't have emotions, didn't have a soul. That I gathered from the stories of the encounter in Germany. This experiment didn't smile, frown, cry, laugh, growl, smirk, anything. So how was he displaying emotions?

"Well, hello Max, hello Flock. I'm glad I finally sniffed you filthy birds out. Took long enough. You guys have been a hand full for me, did you know that? Flying all over the country like you had no care in the world. Pathetic. Now, be good little birdies and stand still while I exterminate all of you in the name of the fallen Director of Itex!" Omega finished his little speech with a horrible laugh that hurt my ears.

What was with him, he wasn't supposed to be like this! But some instinct told me he was a lot different from the Omega Max solely fought and defeated in Europe.

Max growled at Omega regaining her confidence, and mine too. "Well, looks like some little boy got some improvements. Not that I call skin that looks like some kindergartner through glitter all over an improvement," Max said with the smirk I loved; she was so bad ass when she was like this. I loved it. "But hey, we all have different opinions." Max shrugged. "Then again, I think everybody would agree with me when I say you look like some sidewalk freak show. You could go join _Ripley's Believe It or Not?_ as the GlitterMan. Wouldn't that be cool?" Max smiled with a mocking smile that spewed fake excitement all over. I smirked my signature smirk that I know Max loves.

"You act like a fool now, but when you see me tear out the hearts of your friends and drink their blood dry from their bodies then you will rethink your attitude." Omega countered.

"That wasn't a very good comeback," Nudge scolded, joking. "Did you miss Witty Comeback Day at evil experiment camp? Plus, the blood thing was a tinie bit gross. Poor Angel will never be able to unhear that you know; you scared the poor child for life." Nudge tisked Omega while we all snickered. Ah, comedy before a huge battle is great preparation, you should try it sometime.

"You leave me no choice; not that you ever had one. Your jokes don't amuse me in any way whatsoever-" "darn it," Iggy muttered. "-and now we will be done with this. Goodbye Flock, your end begins now."

If only I knew at that moment how right he was.

Omega rushed at Max so fast that I almost didn't catch it; he seemed to almost blur with speed. Max had fast reflexes though, and leaped out of the way without a scratch before striking back with her fists.

"Go hide in the bushes, I'm going to help Max," I commanded, getting into battle mode instantly. "Go!"

Iggy lead the others obediently into the bushes so they wouldn't be in the way. Now it was just me and Max against Glitter Boy. Easy right?

Well, not exactly. Me and Max fighting together are like a well oiled machine, knowing each other's techniques and moves beforehand. It was great when we were fighting together because we wouldn't accidently hurt one another but, opposite of that, we would flow together, my moves coming in a perfect synchronization with Max's, making the most painful effect possible for our opponent. Our attacks came one after another, fitting into the openings that the move before created like a perfect disaster, a storm of unstoppable forces. Like I said before, a well oiled machine.

But even our combined power and fighting styles didn't seem to affect this guy very much. He wasn't bleeding at all, unlike Max who had a bloody nose thanks to a lucky punch from Omega and my split lip (same thing) and knuckles that were bruised and bloody from punching so much and with so much force; this guy was hard to injure with a solid six-pack and it hurt to punch him too hard.

Omega was good at punching too. Fighting in general, he was pretty skilled. I should have expected this since he nearly killed Max the first time, but then again, there shouldn't have been a second time in the first place. He was supposed to be dead!

Omega threw in another lucky shot, getting me in the chest and I felt a rib or two crack. That's the third time! I came back with a vengeance as I kicked him between the legs (yes, guys do that to each other in desperate situations and I am desperate at the moment) which caused his knees to buckle and Max to get a solid karate kick into the side of his head. Omega's head whipped to the left so far I swear it should have snapped his neck like a toothpick. He stayed like that for a minute, not breathing while Max and I fixed our postures and gasped lung fulls of air; I was exhausted. Then, with a slow cracking sound like a bone popping back into place, Omega turned his face back to face us.

Suddenly, he grabbed his head in his hands and lurched it to the right, popping his neck. People who can do that always freaked me out; I avoid Iggy after he does it.

I heard a horrified gasp behind me but didn't care enough to turn and see who it was. Omega returned to his feet and laughed cruelly.

"You think you can kill me so easily? I am much tougher and stronger than our last battle; and I will not lose." And the fighting began again.

Now we were really losing badly. Exhaustion was getting to both of us- Max a little more than me- making our moves slower and sloppier than before, giving more room for return strikes from our opponent, and more room for misses. Omega didn't seem to tire at all, but stayed at a seemingly constant level of power; if anything, he got more pumped and in turn, more powerful. We were doing pretty bad, falling to the ground sometimes, breaking a few bones; ribs for sure, my knuckles definitely, and Max's arm seemed to just dangle there; but the point is, we were going to lose this fight.

But I couldn't let that happen. If Max died, all purpose in my life would abandon me, my best friend and love of my life would be lost. And I refuse to let that happen; it will be over my dead body. And the Flock! We still had three kids, a blind boy, and a dog hiding back there. If we lost, they would be doomed. And they hadn't flown away; we all swore we would never leave each other's sides again in New York.

Darn-it, we were all going to die and there was nothing I could do about it. This knowledge made me fight harder than ever, and more desperately; Max too.

That was when I heard Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel's voices yell out at the top of their lungs.

"Run! Jump into the air and fly as high as you can! Run away!" Nudge.

"Hurry; save yourselves! Fly up quickly! You have to hurry!" Angel.

"You're going to need to fly about two hundred feet into the air. So fly now; forget Omega! Just Fly!" Iggy.

"Please just do it! We need you guys to jump up right now; your lives depend on it! Fly away as fast as you can!" Gazzy.

"Do what they say! Fly you crazy birdkids, FLY!" Total.

Obeying their words without a second thought, I jumped up into the air from a complete standstill. I saw Max Jump up beside me and then shoot up past me; she was the faster of us two, and more use to standstill takeoffs. A second later I was about a hundred or so feet into the air, with Max a little above me.

Down below us, Omega was glaring at us with those red eyes. His gaze turned to the bushes as a rustling sound came from them.

"BOMBS AWAY!" I heard Gazzy and Iggy yell simultaneously.

A small metal gadget flew from the underbrush. Some instinct told me to turn tail and run, and that's exactly what I did.

"Max, run!" I screamed. I stared at her as we tried to get away from the explosive device that I saw Iggy and Gazzy working on earlier. But we just weren't fast enough.

The explosion was tremendous. It seemed to shake the air as it blew, right on Omega. The guy was definitely dead now, chunks of his flesh separated and burning or already incinerated. He would be reduced to ashes very soon.

I felt the pressure and heat attack my wings, arms, and back as I turned to meet and protect Max. Sadly and to my intense disappointment, I couldn't reach her in time. The fire and pure power hit my hard and sent me flying like a rocket. I faintly saw Max in the same situation as me, only going in the opposite direction.

_Max…_

So what did you think? Don't worry, I will do both Fang and Max's POVs in the next chapter. I will tell you that I like Fang's better than Max's, so I won't be doing her as much as Fang's and it might not be as good as Fang's but still be good. At least I hope. Read and Review Please!

~Sweevil Out!


	2. Tears and Sunsets

Disclaimer: I don't own anything OK? Good.

Warning: Scenes may be graphic and difficult to read if you are not use to detailed death. You have been warned. And thanks to all of those who reviewed.

FPOV:

When I woke up it was sunset. That was my first thought, what time it is. The sun was falling from the sky, sending beautiful colors all over the endless expanse, a vision of freedom. Reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks mixed in with the cloud cover that the light constantly tried to break through, adding purples, blues, grays…

The explosion! The colors, mixing a beautiful symphony like that, reminded me of the huge explosion just this morning.

Omega! If he wasn't dead by now then I will personally throw him into the closest pot of boiling lava in the area.

The Flock! Where were they? I remember they were still in the bushes when Iggy and Gazzy's super bomb went off…

Oh no! They couldn't be…No Fang, there's no way. I need to find them and find them now, just to reassure myself. Then find Max.

I ignored my injures and sniffed the air for smoke. I could smell it easily because it had filled the air and took off towards the burning smell. I had trouble getting through the thick greenery now, as hurt as I was, but still managed.

I erupted into the black circle that had seemed so peaceful earlier today.

The explosion had ruined the clearing permanently. Trees were crisp ashes on the ground along with a few small pieces of wood were charred and still on fire. I put those out with my bare foot for my tennis shoes had disappeared after the bomb. Leaves were nonexistent, gone in the fire.

Chunks of pale flesh were lodged in some areas. I threw those into the tiny fires I hadn't put out yet. They seemed to explode into flame instantly, like a mini explosion. Then they disappeared quickly, drowning the charcoaled wood in ashes, putting it out. Omega was now dead. Guess the pot of boiling lava was no longer necessary. Better cancel the delivery and see if I can get a refund.

Now to find the Flock. I rushed over to the skeletal remains of the pile of bushes they were hiding behind. I hope they had gotten better cover than this.

They hadn't.

I froze, staring at the first of many heartbreaking tragedies I was about to see.

The first bodies that I saw were difficult to recognize at first. They were toasted, their faces and torsos burnt beyond recognition. I don't even think dental records could help, if we had any. Their skulls were visible, the flesh burnt right off. It was the same for their arms and parts of their chests; bones were visible and flesh was gone. I moved behind the first body, which sat on its knees facing the battlefield. Its wings were like its face; lacking skin and flesh while the bones were blackened and still intact. I spied the size of the corpse and saw how large it was, the wings similar in size to mine even all folded up, and to top that off I found a golden blonde feather that was a shade similar to its hair.

Iggy. This corpse, this lifeless body before me was the evil genius and blind funny guy that I had known since I was four. Other than Max, I was closest to him. Even though as I grew closer to Max I lost some of my connection with him, I still loved the guy as much as any other Flock member. He was like a brother.

Even though Max jokes that I'm Mr. Rock thanks to how I hate to show how strong the emotions I feel are, I still feel and express them. So that was why I started crying, yes crying, at the sight of my dead friend in front of me. Tears leaked slowly from my eyes, wetting my face.

I forced myself to move my eyes over to the other body close beside him.

I recognized Gazzy quickly, for he still had a little patch of pure blonde hair near his neck. He had tried to protect his head, hunching over and using his hands to protect the top of his head and face. Iggy hadn't tried to block the burn at all, just sat back and took it, knowing he was going to die anyway. It made Gazzy's death all the sadder that he had at least tried to protect himself. His condition was similar to Iggy's with flesh gone from his back, exposing his spine, and his hands broken into a million pieces; his little eight year old hands had shattered from the force, the pieces scattered on the ground and top of his skull.

More tears left my eyes and my vision seemed to blur a little from the water. I quickly wiped them away; I needed to see this, see the death of my family and I only wanted to be here one time, only have the memory in my head from one time. Any more and I would surely break.

I wanted to hug them goodbye as I stood to move on, but decided against it; it didn't seem right to disturb them from their resting places, no matter what I wanted.

I dragged myself on past my two almost-brothers, knowing that the girls were next. I wanted to hope that they were still alive, but my common sense knew better. If the two explosive extrodinares knew that they couldn't escape the power of the explosion, then there is no way that either of the female birdkids who I call family would have survived.

My thoughts were confirmed when I found Nudge. I knew it was Nudge because of the size of her and the feminine curves that were already noticeable on her eleven year old body.

She was by far the most gruesome of all the dead bodies in the campsite. She had tried to run from the fiery death that chased her, unavoidable as the sunrise. Or in this case, sunset.

But the force was too much and had flung her forward right into a tree who's branch was pointed, haven been broken sometime recently, and stabbed her right through her stomach. She had gone all the way to the trunk of the tree like a birdkid shish kabob, without the vegetables. The branch was soaked in blood, for she had been alive when she was stabbed, and more had dripped down below her feet which were dangling a foot above the ground. The whole backside of her body was burnt like biscuits left in an oven too long. It was a shame; her hair, though frizzy and untamable, was very beautiful when she was alive, and full of curls that framed her face perfectly. Her face along with the rest of the front side of her body was perfectly intact and unharmed. I could see her final expression, a look of pain and horror and fear so vibrant that I knew it would haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life. I quickly looked away.

Even though disrupting the guys seemed wrong to me, I still gave Nudge a tiny kiss goodbye on the cheek which aside from a few scratches was perfect. I just needed to do that.

Next I looked around for Angel's body. She had to around here somewhere. I ended up walking further into the burnt woods, following an instinct; I had been doing that a lot lately.

That was when I found Angel. The poor child, she looked less burnt than the others but it was still bad; she was completely burned on the left side of her body. I walked slowly up to her, hoping to hold her one last time when I saw her chest move up and down very faintly.

She was still alive! Maybe I could save her, nurse her back to health, and then find Max. Then I could have at least saved one of my family members.

"Fang…" I heard a breathless whisper go through the air, barely making it to my ears; I was glad I had raptor hearing. It was Angel's voice.

"Angel," I nearly yelled, unable to help myself. I flung myself at her tiny curled up body and slipped her into my arms, holding her closely and dearly. "Angel, Angel, Angel…" I repeated her name over and over again, reassuring myself that she was here and alive.

"You're alive, oh God, Angel you're still alive. We have to get you to a hospital quickly so that you can get better and then we'll go find Max. It will just have to be the three of us. Oh Angel, I'm so sorry and I don't even know why; I just am. Thank God you're alive. Angel…" I held her in a fierce grip before loosening it, knowing I was hurting her.

"Fang…" her voice was weak. I shushed her but she ignored me. She was still Angel to the end, "Fang you need to listen. I'm not going to live."

"What? Of course you are Ang. I'll just have to hurry…"

"No." Angel interrupted me. "I'm going to die and I would have earlier, I would have ended my own life to get rid of the pain, but I heard you crying like you are now and decided to hold on long enough to tell you why." Angel's voice was a little stronger, using the last bit of her dying strength to tell me this. I listened intensely.

"Please do, tell me why you guys killed yourselves just for me and Max. Please. It just doesn't make sense as to _why_."

"'Cause somebody had to live. If you guys died the Flock wouldn't be strong enough to live on and more than likely die off. But you and Max; you're guys are strong, fast, smart, and the best of all of us. If you two keep on going then the world may have a chance. If either of you two died then the other would end up dying too, because without one another you fail; you're so weak a mouse could kill you." Angel gave a small painful looking smile that made my heart squeeze. "We don't matter as much as you two; at least not in the big run. You two together can defeat anything. Plus, you guys love each other with a passion that nobody else had ever had. For you two to never share that passion would be a shame- a disgrace- to the love between you two.

"Max loves you Fang," Angel said this with the most powerful voice I'd ever heard her speak with; it made her seem a thousand years old instead of six. "and don't ever believe anything other than that. Please, find her; before it's too late. Like I said you two can't live without each other. Please, find her and tell her that we all loved her and love you. You guys were like parents to us when we needed them and please, as my final wish, tell her you love her and as the last avian-humans on Earth, be together."

Angel, in all her mind-reading six year old blonde innocent girly glory, closed her perfectly pure bright blue eyes for the final time, the light of life leaving them once and for all.

Tears streamed steadily down my face like an endless torrent. They dripped onto her angelic face, serene in death. I felt the heat leave her body as her heart stopped in her body. Her tiny chest stopped moving up and down in my arms. Her face was so beautiful, like Nudges, but peaceful instead of pained.

I gripped her as tight in my arms knowing I couldn't hurt her anymore. Even half charred, she still had the face of a blonde angel, a simple child with the wings of holy soul.

I cried into her chest til the sun was nearly gone over the horizon, the tiniest sliver left to light up Angel's face. I decided it was time to leave before the sunset ends and shadows covered her face; it would just make reality all that more harsh.

With as much tenderness as I could muster in my tear-clouded gaze, I set her down in a patch of flowers that survived the onslaught. I plucked a few, placing them in her hair and hands, making her look like Snow White, Angel's favorite Disney Princess; to bad Angel will never wake up.

I gathered myself up and rose to my feet, ready to listen to Angel's last wish. I would have done that anyway- find Max and tell her that I loved her- and Angel's last wish added more determination to that particular plan of action.

I saw that I had a good bit of running space ahead of me and my legs weren't injured too badly so I took off running, determined to fly. I jumped and pumped my wings hard, forcing myself higher and higher.

"Shit," I muttered, unable to stop myself. It hurt! My wings were definitely burned from the explosion and every movement hurt like crap.

Max, Max, Max… I kept up a chant to help me focus on flying. Soon I was pretty high up but not too high; I didn't want my wings to give out and end up falling to my death because _that_ wouldn't help anybody, especially me.

I flew in a general direction, forward, wanting to find the closest civilization. There had to be one somewhere?

I could soon see a highway and forgot to flap for a second, dropping twenty feet, in my joy and relief. I instantly shot in that direction, knowing roads will lead me to a town. I'll hitchhike if I have too. Arrest me.

On my way there I ended flying over a huge white mansion. I hadn't seen it before, but I stopped and started to hover over it, interested. I watched as six teenagers; a blonde girl, a weightlifter, a honey blonde guy, a pixie, a bronze-haired guy, and a brunette. They all raced to their cars, and my eyes must still be blurred with tears because they seemed to move way too fast to be human, with the exception of the brunette. I wiped my eyes so that they couldn't trick me again.

They separated into three different cars; the honey blonde and pixie in a yellow sports car, the blonde and weightlifter in a red sports car, and the bronze and the brunette in a shiny silver sports car. I didn't know the names or lines of the cars, only that they were fast.

I heard them yell loudly at each other.

"I bet I could get to L.A. before you guys," the pixie dared.

"Oh, we'll take that bet," the weightlifter yelled back, grinning like a fool. He probably was.

"Dido, sis. You're on!" the bronze agreed.

"Then let the race begin." And with that the pixie took off down the driveway, getting a head start. The silver car took of a second later.

"Cheater!" the weightlifter screamed like a child. His car, driven by the blonde chick, took off after that.

Well, L.A. is a good bit ways from here, at least a day in a fast sports car, even if you ignore traffic signals and speed limits. Plus, the cops would stop you in a heartbeat. That's more time added on. What you get is an empty house with food and clothes and a place to rest. I smirked.

I landed in the bushes near a river behind the house, careful not to hurt myself anymore than I already was. I double checked that no one was in there, listening for signs of life. Nothing. I smirked again.

I dashed up to the front door of the house, my paranoia coming through, especially with no one around to watch my back. It was unlocked. God, luck was on my side now just when I needed it most.

I slipped inside and carefully closed the door, a courteous robber. No, not a robber just a homeless birdkid who needs medical supplies and a good meal, that's all. I ignored looking into the house in too much detail other than that it was huge and open. Everything furniture wise is blindingly white and expensive looking.

I ran to the kitchen and pulled open door to the pantry, my stomach growling. To my sadness, there was little to eat. Odd. So many teens in one house should mean a fully stocked kitchen.

I spied three boxes of spaghetti still unopened and snatched them, along with two cans of tomato sauce, a few onions and peppers from the fridge, a gallon of milk to drink, and two large pots. I filled up one pot with water, glad that Iggy taught me how to cook pasta. It was soon boiling and I added the noodles, content. I took the other pot and filled it with the tomato sauce, putting it on the stove with the noodles. I waited til this was boiling too and turned down the heat, adding the peppers and onions in the process; I had found them pre-cut. I stirred the spaghetti a little, letting the smell of food overcome me. Digging up some bread and butter, I prepared some extra grain to snack on while I waited for my food. Soon the whole loaf was gone. My spaghetti was finished up by then and I grabbed a plate, fork, and scooper. Scooping out the all the pasta onto my plate, along with all the sauce, I went into the dining room and sat down. Man, I was starved. My stomach growled, agreeing with me.

I ate without manners of any kind, stuffing it into my mouth even though the heat burned my tongue and throat. Burns…guilt overcame me as I remembered Max, who was probably all alone out in the woods, burned and beaten, with nothing to eat or drink. I ate faster, trying to rid myself of the guilt. It worked, but only a little bit.

By the time I was finished I was leaning back in the antique chair, so full I felt I was going to burst. I forced myself to my aching feet and cleaned up my cooking mess, making sure nothing was left to show I had intruded in the first place.

The only thing that might show was the empty spaghetti boxes in the trashcan. I took out the trash, just in case.

Now to examine my wounds. I had been purposefully ignoring them because I didn't have time to take care of myself; others had been my priority for the last few hours.

Now that I had that the security that I needed with medical supplies nearby and my stomach full, the pain came full blast, getting back at me for the flying earlier. I hunched over in pain, barely keeping myself up on my feet.

Willpower was all that got me to trudge over to the medicine cabinet ten feet away and open the door, searching for anything to ease the burning pain.

I managed to find some medicine and not just any Tylenol or Advil, but some high-grade painkillers that could make a bear attack painless. I only knew what they were because of my time in the School. Guess growing up in a lab does have benefits.

I swallowed the pills dry, knowing I wouldn't be able to hold onto a glass of water.

I looked around the house as the pain slowly lessened to a tolerable amount, really seeing it for the first time and the obvious thing that this house meant; money, and lots of it. Father must be a high-end doctor or something.

Now that I could move without paralyzing pain I made my way through the cabinet, taking out more medical supplies that I recognized way too easily for a fourteen year old. Anti-burn cream, disinfecting lotion, proroxide (A/N- I know I spelled that wrong but I couldn't find out how to spell it, sorry), bandages, wrappings, tape to keep the wrappings secured, ect.

I moved the supplies out of the kitchen and up the stairs, into the first bathroom I could find. I had to pass through a solid pink room to get there, but it was worth it; this bathroom was easily twice the size of the bedroom connected to it. I inched in there, recklessly dropping the materials onto the bathroom counter that was so big you could operate on it.

I stripped myself of all my clothes before turning on the shower full blast. Testing it with my hand first to make sure it was warm enough, I slipped in.

Max had always loved showers; it was obvious. While neither of us minded the constant filth that covered us from head to toe everyday unlike some of the others, but showers were still enjoyable to us. They always seemed to make Max happier and less stressed; she always came out looking like she was glowing, and even an hour or two later the glow remained.

I had never minded being clean, though when I got dirty again it felt more natural. Being perfectly squeaky clean is just not something that I really feel comfortable being. Maybe it's all those months on the run.

But as the scolding water rid my skin of soot, dead skin, and the smell of death I couldn't help but feel better than I had in a long time. In other words, all day.

I grabbed the closest liquid soap I could find, not caring that it was Perky Peach smelling. Dumping some onto the scrubber I had grabbed I got to work. I needed to get clean if I wanted to heal which meant about thirty minutes in the shower just scratching away all the dirt and burnt skin from my body. I opened up my wings in the huge shower and started to scrub them too, getting rid of the dead dangling feathers that were fried from the explosion. It was hard to tell which were dead and which were still good since they were all black.

When it felt like half my skin and feathers were gone I started on my hair. I soaked it with shampoo and scratched the top of my scalp til it felt like it was bleeding. I washed that out for a few minutes straight and then added a whole bottle of conditioner.

Leaving that in for a couple of minutes I stepped out of the shower and looked through the cabinets underneath. I quickly found my goal, a pair of scissors, and walked in front of the massive mirror that was taller than me.

Looking at myself, I could see my injuries a lot better. My face was OK, still red from the hot shower, except for a split lip and a broken nose that will heal by tomorrow morning. My skin around the rest of my body, especially my chest and stomach, was bruised and cut in lots of places. I felt about three broken ribs on each side and my knuckles were ruined, feeling smashed from punching Omega so hard. They were going to take longer than one good nights sleep to heal, unlike many of the scratches I had from the fight.

Nothing else, aside from a finger or two, felt broken so I turned slightly so I could see my back and wings better. That was where all the real damage is.

The explosion had hit me full-on from behind, and now I could really see the damage that it had done. Skin on my back was nearly nonexistent, haven been burned this afternoon and the scratched off in the shower a second ago. Little patches were there, but not really useful; it hurt all the same. The back of my shoulders, arms, and neck weren't much better, but they were better. The soles of my feet hurt to stand on without some sort of cushion beneath. My wings had faired better than my back, but the ends were still horrible looking. They had no feathers on them at all haven all fallen off, and they were cut in several places. Not deep but criss-cross, like debris had stricken them. The edges were red and oozing a little but I think that was just dirt from the insides washing out. My wings ached just trying to extend them or pull them in, but after staying in same position for a while they got use to it. I left them extended so they could get some air.

Now for my hair. While my long straight black locks had survived my fire, the edges were still a little crispy from the heat. I was just glad it was only the bottom centimeter and not a few inches or something like that. My hair would still just barely pass my shoulders after this little haircut. Thank God, I loved my hair long and so did Max, she told me so.

It took all my willpower to snip off the very utmost edges of my hair and watch them drop to the floor, but I managed. I finished quickly not wanting to drag out the torture and then stepped back into the shower, washing out the last of the conditioner.

I got out again and quickly fixed medicine and dressings to my body; my arms, the back of my neck, my hands minus the fingers like fingerless gloves, and around my whole chest and torso. I kinda looked like a mummy when I was done, covered in bandages and white wrappings. I used a large and heavy hairdryer to dry off my body and newly-cut hair before slipping on some extra black clothes I carried in backpack that held all my things as we traveled, discarding the torn and bloodied ones into the bag. After returning downstairs I put them in the trashcan with the rest of the garbage.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh," I yawned. I was exhausted from a long day, emotionally and physically. I slipped the black sweatshirt that I had been holding over my head, deciding that it would beneficially cushion my wings as I laid down on the white couch that sat in the living room.

I didn't even think as I lay on my side, my back resting against the back of the couch, and shut my eyes, sleep overcoming me within seconds.

MPOV: (finally)

I ran. It was as simple as that.

I ran from everything. I ran from the campsite that I had come upon only half an hour ago. I ran from the smell of blood and death that chased me away from that God-forsaken place. I ran from the truth, the convictions that were planting themselves into my head more and more every minute.

They were dead. All of them, every single one of then, dead as doorknobs.

I ran from the words, from the _thought_, that said that this wasn't some huge cruel dream like I so desperately wanted it to be. But I couldn't have dreamed up that smell, that horrible smell…the smell of burnt flesh.

Just the memory of that awful stinging stench made tears spring into my already tear-clouded gaze. I forced myself to stop running so I could vomit up the last remains of the food we all ate this morning. All of us.

I started running away again. I wondered ideally if I could just run to the ends of the Earth and then fall off because right now I would gladly fling myself into oblivion if I had the chance.

Except there was one thing I was holding on too.

Fang.

He had been flying slightly behind me when it happened, when that super-bomb went off. I had seen him tossing and turning in midair just like me; only he wasn't going in the same direction I was…

I had to find him before I made a solid decision. If he was dead then I would kill myself immediately without a second thought. The pain of him being dead was a million times worse than the pain I felt now; the pain of Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel being dead.

I ran faster, willing the truth to leave my brain, for me not to except it; it was instinctual.

_Max, stop. Blocking the truth won't help at all, only hinder._

Oh God, it was the Voice. Doesn't it know when I want it to LEAVE ME THE FREAK ALONE!

I ran from the Voice, from its confusing riddles and horrible help. I didn't need it. All I needed was Fang. I needed him to hold me in his strong arms, to tell me everything was alright, to make me feel all warm and fuzzy and safe, something that I didn't usually allow myself to feel.

I needed it now.

I was too focused on my own mental agony to notice when the forest seemed to darken even though the sun had set an hour ago, right about when I had woken up.

I focused on the physical pains to distract me from my emotional and metal instability, counting and documenting every injury.

Let us see, one broken right arm, check. Several broken ribs, check. Nearly twisted ankle, check. Swollen eyes from punches and crying, check. Badly burned back and wings, again check. That's everything.

I stumbled on a root, falling on the arm I was cradling, my broken right one. I couldn't stop the cry of pain that escaped my lips when I landed, and I struggled to get up from the dirt ground.

That when I heard it, when I got up from the ground. The sound of a bark, like from a dog or a wolf. It was low and deep, husky. It terrified me; what else was out here?

I heard it again, a sharp bark, like someone calling out an order. Only, in wolf talk. Yep, definitely wolves here, this _was_ the woods in the middle of Washington.

I crawled to a tree, resting my back against it while breathing heavily, afraid to look at what was on the other side. I heard several sets of large paws run across the underbrush loudly. They came closer and closer, got louder and louder until they stopped on the other side of the tree, maybe twenty feet away from where I was.

_Oh no!_ A pack of wolves, this is even worse. If had to fight one wolf I _might_ live, but a whole pack of them, I would be torn apart.

I listened as a small whimper came from behind me. It sounded innocent and sweet like that of a lonely lapdog, but I knew better for I had had much experience with wolves in my life, especially the half-human kind, and I knew that they were fierce bloodthirsty creatures who were ruled by their instincts (A/N- they really aren't but this is Max's POV not mine. I really love wolves) . I wouldn't be fooled.

The whimper sounded again, strangely feminine and tempting, but I stayed put. No way I would turn around and look.

A startling growl sounded from behind me, making me jump and give a little shriek. I instantly heard several growls echo the first, scaring me more.

I finally gave in, turning to look at the wolves.

My breath stopped wheezing in and out of my throat, frozen in shock.

These were no normal wolves. They were huge, the size of large horses, with massive heads, muzzles, and teeth. They were all staring at a larger russet one that was looking at me. There was a black one, a sandy one, and a slightly smaller gray one. More than I wanted to know was there.

Distant howls reached my ears from father away in the woods, telling me there were even more of these humungous beasts.

They all suddenly turned to look at me, their eyes so piercing that I realized one startling conviction.

They were experiments.

There was no way they weren't. All their eyes were too knowing, too intelligent to be some random overfed animals. No, they were mutated in some way or another, which meant that they were from the School.

I pulled my head back behind the tree, resting it against the bark. But it was too late, they had seen me. My pulse thudded in my ears, my heart pounded in my chest, and lungs took desperate, staccato gasps, needing the air badly so I could think.

I heard a slow careful step in the leaves, hesitant. They were probably deciding how they were going to kill me.

Well I wouldn't give them the chance. Fang was still out there somewhere, I was sure of it and if let myself be turned into wolf chow then he would be left all alone. I couldn't let that happen, not now not ever. Plus, being eaten alive by a pack of mutant wolves isn't high on my preferred ways to die list. And yes, I really have one of those.

Determined, I focused on the adrenaline that was now pumping through my veins, giving me speed and strength.

Without hesitation I shot up from my hiding spot and ran.

I ran from the wolves, knowing I could get away. I didn't hear their massive footsteps behind me for about ten seconds, giving me a good head start. Perfect.

As I ran, dodging massive tree trunks and wildly placed branches, I couldn't help but think how ironic this was; for this was just like the dream I had the day Angel was kidnapped. Running from dogs and experiments, escaping from the School. Only, I wasn't escaping from the School but the truth, and I was running from experiments that just happened to be giant dogs.

I let out a crazy man's laugh, holding my injured arm close. I think blood loss was making me go mad. Good.

But my unstable joys were cut short when I heard a frustrated growl behind me.

I passed by a clear puddle of water and was able to see the reflection of the wolves behind me with my nearly perfect night vision.

They were right behind me, barely ten feet back.

No! I was faster than any mutt, no matter how fat they were. There was no way they were that close to me.

I chanced a glance back and saw them on my tail. They were so fast and graceful despite their size that it was scary. The smaller grey one was the closest one to me, the largest one with russet fur close behind it. It was like they were racing to see who could get to me first. They were probably wanting to get a thigh bone or something.

I let out a scream of fear as my foot latched on a stay root. I fell on my arm and face again, and I could feel the heat as two massive bodies jumped over me. I hoped that maybe they wouldn't notice me on the ground and keep running, but that hope died when I heard them skid to a stop in front of me.

I was hurt even worse now, I could feel it. My head hurt badly now and my nausea was back, along with a dull ringing in my ears that didn't want to leave. Something wet trickled down my face slowly, like the fresh set of tears in my eyes.

They are going to kill me. I could feel the heat coming off of the monsters standing overtop of me in waves. It made the heat leaving my body less noticeable.

As my vision blurred, visions flashed in my brain, like a brain attack.

The six of us laughing; each individual face of the Flock, including my own and Eraser Max, framed in mixing colors; a giant russet wolf, it's black eyes boring into mine with intelligence that shouldn't be there; Ari, his face falling into death; a mountain of fire rising from the damp trees and grass below me; the sunset, signaling the beginning and the end of all things; and finally and most confusingly, a dark skinned female face, tanned to where she must be Native American, her darker hair and darkest eyes fixed on me.

The blackness of sweet unconsciousness came, sweeping away the pictures and taking me to oblivion.

So, better than the first chapter or not? I love reviews so please, review to your heart's desire. I know I do! Also, I connect with music really well. It can control my mood, thoughts, and what I feel like writing. So here are some of the songs I listened to that really controlled me.

_Stop and Stare By One Republic_

_Beautiful Day by U2_

_Breathe (2 am) by Anna Nalick_

_Cable Car by The Fray_

_Straight Lines by Silverchair (they're Australian!)_

_It Ends Tonight by All American Rejects_

_Over My Head (Cable Car) by A Day to Remember_

_Move Along by All American Rejects_

_A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton_

_I Don't Wanna Be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem) by Good Charlotte _

Listen to them; they're good.

~Sweevil Out!


	3. Wake Up Call

Disclaimer: Really? I have to do this again? This is getting ridiculous. Forget it, I ain't doing this. Sweevil Out!

Carlisle POV: (This will be really short for those who want Fang's POV again, I swear. I'm not good at doing Carlisle anyway.)

I turned onto the driveway of my home, happy. Esme smiled at me, her face sweet and beautiful as always.

We had just returned from a night out in Seattle. It was about 2am and I could tell the kids weren't home, the house was too quiet. If Emmett was home, the whole town would know.

They had probably just driven somewhere or something. I didn't really want to worry about them so I focused on my wife beside me. She looked up at me, looking concerned.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Just wondering where the kids are and what exactly they're destroying so I can go ahead and write the check to replace it." I joked, easing her tension. She worried about the simplest things, similar to Bella.

Speaking of Bella, she and Edward must be home tonight because as we stopped the car in the garage I could hear the steady pulse of someone's heartbeat, along with an even movement of air in and out of their lungs. But something was off because there were sounds of more air moving too, like an extra set of lungs from the same body. Also, the heartbeat was too fast, more like the wolves' then Bella's.

"Did Edward decide to stay home with Bella?" Esme asked, hearing it too.

"I don't think so but let's go see anyway. The heartbeat and breathing sounds off."

With that the two of us walked slowly into the house, as slow as a human. I was immediately assaulted with a montage of smells that definitely weren't there before. I could pick out pasta noodles, tomato sauce, and vegetables. Spaghetti.

"Who cooked?" I asked Esme. No one knew how to cook except Bella, Esme, and Edward, and I didn't smell Bella or Edward's scents anywhere.

But those were only the first scents that were present. As we walked to the stairs more horrifying smells came. Esme let out a shocked gasp.

Death; that was what we smelled. The scent of roasted flesh was everywhere, filling the stairwell, the front door, and the spaces in between. I couldn't smell anything else it was so strong. I noticed that it continued to lead upstairs and also into the living room.

The living room. I looked in there and got the shock of my life.

Lying against the side of the couch facing us was a pure black backpack that wasn't there before.

My eyes noticed something else. Sticking out like a sore thumb on our white couch was a large black mass. I recognized the textures of cotton, jeans, and hair on the mass. It moved slightly.

A person. I moved closer til I was hovering over it, in front of Esme. I couldn't make out the person's features very well for they were covered in clothes that were all the same color black. Then he moved a little, pushing long black hair out of his face, and I could see him much more clearly.

He was a guy, that I was sure. He wore black bootcut jeans, a black shirt underneath a black sweatshirt that was a bit big on him, and black tennis shoes. His crow black hair was excessively long, probably to his shoulders. He was olive skinned, and his face had two or three bandages on it, along with what looked to be a split lip. I could see invisible scars covering his skin, similar to Jasper only they were different sizes and shapes. I looked him over, searching for more bandages and saw that his hands were wrapped up from the base of his fingers past his wrists, which were hidden from the material of his sleeves. His sweatshirt and shirt moved up a bit when he had moved so I could see that, even at the waist line, his body was wrapped up like his hands. I took a deep breath and then choked silently on the smell of dead and burnt flesh that not only coated him but was coming from him too. Esme started to dry sob.

What in the world? Why was this boy; though he wasn't really a boy, more of a teenager, probably fourteen though with his apparent height he could pass as sixteen; in our house and sleeping on our couch? And why did he smell like a Nazi crematory? Questions filled my mind as I stared and Esme cried tearlessly behind me.

The boy seemed upset too, his face suddenly contorting in such a pained expression that made Esme sob louder. He didn't wake though, only tensed as if he was preparing to fight someone off. His strong calloused hands curled into fists that looked dangerous to me, but let loose immediately with a pained and defeated expression on his face.

I saw that his eyes were a bit puffy as if he had been crying earlier. My suspicions were confirmed when a few tears started to leak from his eyes, drying up immediately after.

Esme nearly dashed out of the room as a look of pain and mortification took over the boy's whole body and a few more tears came out of his eyes.

"No…Ang, no," he said quietly, his voice full of so much pain and misery and loss that I felt like crying myself. "You can't- stop, NO!" he shouted the last word, followed by a few more tears.

"Please, I just have to hurry…" his whispered voice trailed off til I couldn't even hear it. "…I promise Ang just don't-" he broke off and didn't speak again, merely flinched and tensed restlessly, dreaming a dream that I really wanted to know about so that I could find out what this boy was thinking of.

We were both silent as we watched, living statues for a few minutes before my phone finally rang. I slowly opened it and pressed talk.

"Carlisle, what's wrong. Alice said her visions of you and Esme disappeared a minute ago and with no clue why. She said she just saw you drive up the driveway and then you guys were gone. What the hell happened?" Edward's frantic voice entered my ears along with several sets of mouths echoing his worry.

Bella's voice, Jasper's voice, Emmett's voice, Rosalie's voice, Alice's voice…they were all there, all worried something had happened to us.

"What do you mean our futures disappeared?" I asked, completely confused. There was nothing that could have blocked Alice's visions at our own home except that nasty burnt flesh smell that filled my nose mixed with the faint scent of Alice's Perky Peach body wash. Had he been in her bathroom?

"I mean you guys were gone like the mutts. Are they there?" His voice became angered at the mention of the La Push wolves. I couldn't worry about that now.

"No, nobody is here except me, Esme and…" I trailed off, unable to continue because my mind was racing. Edward said that we disappeared when we entered the house and when we entered the house we were in the same area as the boy on the couch, mixing our future with his. But there was no way he was blocking Alice's vision. Then again, I couldn't even smell his natural scent unless he naturally smelled like he had hugged a roasted corpse. This really wasn't likely.

Who was this boy? And what was he?

"Carlisle? You, Esme and who?" Edward's voice, beyond frantic now, knocked me out of my revere.

"Just hurry home; I'll explain when you get here." I hung up after that.

Minutes later three sets of tires screeched down our driveway. Seconds later five vampires and one human ran into the living room, all of them freaking out to the extreme.

"Who else is here?" The question was echoed from every mouth, some slower than others and some repeating it several times. Esme shushed them all til they were silent.

In response I simply looked down to the couch where no one had bothered to look. The boy still lay there, not as restless but he still seemed to be trapped in the nightmare from before. His face remained in a pained expression.

Everyone looked at him with silent awe, shocked that this stranger was in their house, sleeping on their couch. Then they all took a breath.

Everybody immediately started to gag like I had when I first smelt it. Even Bella, whose sense of smell was no where as good as a vampire's, gagged at the stench, looking a little green for a minute. Esme shushed them again, not wanting to wake the boy

"Is that…burnt flesh?" Bella choked out the words, speaking for everyone.

I frowned but nodded, looking at the darkly-clothed boy again. How could he have blocked our futures?

"Who did he kill and burn to ashes?" Emmett asked, not joking but really serious for once. He looked disgusted.

"I don't know but he's injured so be quiet or you'll wake him and this boy looks like he needs his sleep." Esme, a mother at heart. God, I love her.

"Wake him? This kid looks like some emo-cutter kid and is probably part of some gang who murders innocent people and burns the bodies. I say we teach him a lesson." Rosalie's weightless accusations made the boy twitch in his sleep before more tears left his eyes again. Everybody stilled at that shock. They were probably thinking he had heard them and was really awake. Edward nodded.

A few more tears, just enough to say he was really crying, left his eyes and his face became so hurt and lost that the sympathy and remorse was tangible in the air. Jasper looked like a wreak as the boy's emotions overcame him.

"No Ang, don't. You can't go, no! I'll take you to the hospital, I'll make sure you get better just please, hold on a little longer and then you'll get better and we can go find Max. Please Ang, you're like a daughter to me-hold on a little longer. You can't just give up like that!" He yelled the last sentence with such desperation that Bella burst into tears. Edward held onto her as they came down more heavily as the boy's. Alice and Rose had similar facial expressions.

"Part of some gang, huh?" I asked Rose who looked so remorseful that she would have been crying if she was human. "Now like Esme said, I think we should leave him alone til he wakes. Wake him up yourselves and I'll make sure you'll regret it. Now go. Edward, take Bella upstairs so she can sleep. Everyone else, let's get his bag and check to see what we can find."

Edward took Bella upstairs, guiding her as she walked. The rest of them went into the dining room as I grabbed the bag and went to the dining room table.

I dropped the bag onto the table which was filled with even more of the burnt skin smell. This was mixed with the smell of spaghetti, making a funky odor that made me wrinkle my nose.

The book bag was worn and torn, the outer fabric not strong enough to deal with the strain it had been under in the past. It was covered in dried blood and ash, and had the dead flesh smell all over it along with a woodsy scent that I smelled on campers and hikers when they entered the hospital after hiking accidents.

We looked at it horrified. The blood on it was from several different occasions for some of it was dried while there was a fresh splatter all over it. I could smell several different scents from several different donors covering the book bag; I couldn't tell one from another they were so fused.

Everyone gasped at the amount of blood and the smell of different people's blood all over it. What happened here?

With subtly shaking hands, Esme reached over and unzipped the zipper. The little metal zipper was coated in ash and dirt.

Inside wasn't filled with, to our relief, weapons of murder. Opposite of that, it was filled with things necessary for survival. Water bottles, packaged foods, and more. But one thing that was missing was an extra pair of clothes. Wouldn't you think, if the kid had a laptop in here, he would have a spare outfit? We searched through the pack but there were no other clothes, much to Alice's disapproval. Which she voiced quite excessively, thank you very much.

After our thorough search we were still no closer to finding out whom he was, only that he knew some named Max and Ang, though Ang was probably a nickname for Angelica or something.

But the question never left my mind as I sat in the living room with my wife.

_What was he?_

FPOV:

I was trapped in that one moment of time. That moment where Angel lay huddled in my arms, dying slowly as she explained the rest of the Flock's reasoning behind the suicide bombing yesterday.

I haunted me, the look of life slowly, painfully leaving her forever. I had suppressed the full horror after I flew away, but now it came back at me with a vengeance, set on ruining my sleep routine.

Basically my whole dream was Angel in my arms, telling me she was going to die and that there was nothing to do about it while I argued viciously with her, crying the whole time. It ended when she finally shut her eyes, replaying the memory from sunset.

But, as the nightmare that I knew I would have many times progressed, I got a sense that there was an audience to my pain. I couldn't place it, but over a decade of paranoia made me know when someone was there watching me as I writhed under the horrible nightmare mixed with reality.

The sunrise burned my eyes, for sun should not exist in this dark corner of my mind where my worst traumas were kept.

I moved my arms to cover my eyelids so that I could maybe sleep again. I didn't feel as rested as I wanted to feel when I went to sleep last night. Ugh.

The sound of breathing I didn't recognize made me freeze.

No on else should be here. I was still on the couch I fell asleep on, right?

I felt the ultra-soft material that had modeled to my shape throughout the night and I knew yes, I was. That meant-

My eyes shot open as discreetly as I could make them, paranoia overcoming me. They weren't home, were they? Was I still alone?

I lifted my arms from my dark eyes so that I could see the truth.

Nope, I definitely wasn't alone.

Before me sat four people. Two I recognized; the bronze-headed teenager from the silver sports car, along with the brunette who rode with him. Now that they were close enough for me to see their faces, I realized that they were both quite beautiful. The girl had long brown hair that fell in waves around her, reaching her waist. She was pale with translucent-looking skin that didn't seem thick enough to protect her. She wore designer clothes that she looked uncomfortable in, for they were a striking red color shirt with grey skinny jeans that were covered in rips and stitched in designs that would make Max puke and Nudge squeal in happiness. She didn't look like she enjoyed wearing them either. They didn't seem to fit her for she was beautiful without the expensive clothes just like Max, only nobody could hold a thing on me anymore for I loved Max only.

I felt the guy's eyes boring into mine with intensity that would have made anybody else feel uncomfortable. I did feel uncomfortable but suppressed it with my emotionless mask like I do in all situations.

I noticed now that everything about this guy screamed unnatural. His eyes were a dark golden color that I've never seen before, his skin was pale beyond belief, paler than the girl's, and he had an air about him that told me he wasn't human. A lifetime of being paranoid told me this. His eyebrows; I realized now that he had an unnatural beauty unlike the girl, who was naturally beautiful though she couldn't compare to Max; came together in confusion.

Then a feeling I never thought I'd feel again came over me. It was the feeling of someone entering my mind, reading my thoughts. I instantly threw up my mental shield, blocking my thoughts from all who invaded them.

I don't know why I did this for it was very silly; there were no mind readers here. Then again, the look of frustration and disbelief that came over the bronze-haired guy's face made me think twice.

I looked away from him, interested in the faces I'd never seen before. In front of me were a man and a woman, though they could barely be called that. The woman had to be twenty-six at the most, while the man didn't look a day over twenty-three. They were similar to the teenage boy beside them; pale, beautiful, unnatural looking.

Erasers, they just had to be. These three looked like they could be supermodels if they wanted, just like erasers. I was instantly wary of them.

The girl was a different story. Why was a human here with these creatures that were so obviously experiments from the School? Didn't she notice how they were too pale to be natural, too perfect looking to be real, too different to be completely human? Unless she was a whitecoat, then I was really in for it.

The caramel-headed woman looked at me with concern in her eyes, for I had not spoken yet. I stayed silent.

"Well, I'm glad you've finally woken up; you looked like you were having a nightmare." Her voice was like music, ringing through my ears; again unnatural.

I let my mild curiosity come through by raising my eyebrow just slightly. This was how I always acted around strangers; distant and emotionless, like I didn't feel anything. It was just safer that way.

Though, it was rude to take advantage of these people who had let me stay the night in their house after I had broken into it.

"Thank you for not waking me. I really needed some form of rest last night." I said my words lowly but clearly, no emotion whatsoever leaking through my voice. Max says it irritates her to death when I do this, when talk like I don't have any emotions or any cares. I nearly smirked.

The woman's face lit up at my response, obviously overjoyed that she could get me to talk. I don't know why this was though, for she didn't know me and I didn't know her.

"You're welcome! You need some food though; you must be starved. But first, do you mind telling me your name?" She finished with an encouraging smile on her face, wanting me to speak again.

I simply stared at her. How could she be so…so giving? I broke into her house and used her things for God's sake! And now she was giving me more, like I the son of some old friend or something. It confused me to no end, and I ended up not responding.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; I guess I should introduce myself and my family first. My name's Esme, and this is my husband Carlisle," she pointed to the blonde haired man beside her, "my adopted children Edward," she pointed to the bronze boy who was now looking at me in concentration, "Emmett," the other teens seemed to appear out of nowhere behind me and she pointed to the weightlifter, "Rosalie," the blonde chick, "Alice," the pixie, "Jasper," the honey blonde guy, " and Edward's girlfriend, Bella." the brunette girl who was human, from what I could tell. At least she _seemed_ human, but one can never be too sure.

I noticed they were all looking at me, waiting for me to say my name like they had their mom did for them. Mom, ha, the woman had to be in her mid-twenties! No wonder they were adopted.

"Name's Fang," I said, mentally yelling at myself for not saying Nick or even Fnick 'cause that would have been better than giving them my real name. Stupid, stupid!

I strengthened my mental shield feeling it loosen up. I couldn't let their mind reader into my head, it was too risky.

To my shock, the weightlifter, Emmett, who was huge looking now that I saw him up close though I was taller than him, bust out laughing.

"Oh, God Rose, his name's Fang!" Emmett screeched in laughter and my anger filled me; nobody makes fun of my name. I loved my name, and it was cool; it put fear into the hearts of whitecoats and all other evil scientists, just like the name Maximum Ride.

"I never saw that one coming! Oh man, could it get anymore ironic!" He continued to double over in amusement while I rose from where I was sitting. With emotions in check and none showing on my face I walked right up to the big guy, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and forcefully lifted his face up to meet mine, meaning I picked him up off the ground.

Emmett stopped laughing in shock and everybody around me gasped in surprise as I let my deadly anger show on my face. My bandaged hand gripped the material of his shirt tighter.

"My name is nothing to make fun of so stop laughing before I rip one of your fat muscled arms off and beat you senseless with it." My voice was an angered growl as I put my face in his, daring him to laugh again with my eyes. He stayed silent.

I let the guy down, he was quite heavy with his large muscled body, like a giant rock, but I refused to even stretch it and show how it had hurt my hand even a tiny bit.

Everybody was silent, watching me with big shocked eyes, especially the girl, Bella. I walked back to where I was before, sat down, and looked back at the woman questioningly, acting as if nothing happened.

"You know you don't have to feed me. I need to get going, I have something I have to do. So if you excuse me," I stood up again and grabbed my backpack up off the ground, worried now that I saw it was covered in dried blood. Dang it.

I started to make my way to the front door.

"Remember to lock the front door next time," I said dully, not really caring. I needed to go and go now, for it was time to find Max. She was out there somewhere and I really needed to find her.

_Max, even though you can't hear me, I'm coming for you. I love you._

"Wait," a desperate voice called, as if remembering something at the last minute. "You need to let me get a look at your injures."

I turned to see the blonde man, Carlisle, right behind me by inches. Wow, he hadn't sounded that close. I hadn't even heard him come up behind me. Only I move that silently.

He gave me a reassuring smile before continuing.

"I saw that you had some bandages covering you and I wanted to check out your injures to make sure they are OK. I'm a professional doctor so don't worry." He gave another reassuring smile.

My blood ran cold.

Doctor.

The last time I visited a doctor was after Ari attacked me on the beach and I almost died. After that we met Annie and stayed in Virginia. Queen of Traitors, she tried to hand us over to Erasers.

But, that's beside the point. The point is doctors are just as bad as scientists; they poke you and prod you and stick needles into your skin. Something I just wasn't comfortable with. Plus, you never truly know what it is they put into you. So no thank you.

"I'm fine; really. No doctor needed. I'm pretty good at recognizing and using medical supplies so I'm good. Thanks anyway." I tried to walk away but he got a firm grip on my shoulder. I hissed in pain and he immediately let go.

"Sorry; but that just proves me right, you need professional medical attention. Why didn't you just go to the hospital in Forks and ask for some help?" He looked at me like it was the biggest mystery in the world, why someone wouldn't go to the hospital when they were hurt.

"Forks? That's where I am…" I mumbled to myself, trying to remember if I had heard the name of this town when Nudge insisted on reading out loud the name of every town and city in all of Washington state from a road map we snagged at a drug store. I came up empty.

"You don't know what town you're in?" Carlisle asked shocked. "Just come with me please, we can go into my office." He led the way before I could refuse, and I silently followed to escape the staring eyes of his family; their gaze seemed to pierce my skin.

We went up to the third story, the part I'd never seen before. The second door to the left was open and we went through that, him shutting the door behind me.

He went to his desk and rolled his chair around from behind it, putting beside a second chair, gesturing for me to sit there. I obeyed and he sat in the one he rolled over.

"Now, I saw your hands and arms were bandaged up. Do you mind if I check them out? I won't do anything that you don't want me to." His words were pure, truthful.

I nodded, preferring not to say anything in front of any of these people.

I held out my hands, pushing back my sweatshirt sleeves til they couldn't go up anymore. The doctor grabbed a pair of scissors off his desk and cut away the bandages with skill that shocked me still. The wrappings slowly fell to the ground, revealing my bruised and bloody knuckles and the burns on the back of my arms.

Carlisle gasped in shock along with another gasp form downstairs, echoing each other. I frowned, guessing that whichever one was the mind reader had seen my arms from Carlisle's mind. I strengthened my mental shield, anxious.

Carlisle seemed to notice my hidden anxiousness and quickly reassured me.

"Don't worry; it's not too bad for third degree burns. But these will take weeks to heal and they already look a fourth of the way done. How long ago did you get these? It's crucial that I know when you got them." He looked at me, truly concerned.

I hesitated, unsure what to tell him. The truth or a well though out lie? Well I didn't have time to think up the latter so I went with the first.

"I just got them yesterday morning," I replied. Carlisle looked shocked for a split second but quickly covered it up; tricky doctor. I could see him mentally calculating something, though what I knew not.

"Well," he said, "they seem to be healing up nicely. If they continue at this rate then you should be completely healed in a week at the most, since it takes most people weeks to heal fully."

He seemed to want to portray that I wasn't normal out loud. I wondered why. Well some doctors do like to think out loud.

He examined them further, making sure to check my knuckles which looked a lot better than they did yesterday. They should be healed by tonight, I mentally calculated. I told Carlisle this out loud.

"They should be good by tonight," my voice was quiet as I said this. He looked up at me in surprise.

"Have you damaged your knuckles like this before?"

"No, not this bad. I just know they'll be better by then."

I felt uncomfortable telling him things like this because I had a feeling that he was trying to unravel my secrets as I was his and his families. At least I was subtle about it.

"Well, your arms seem to be healing very nicely. Now, is there any other place that you're injured? I think I saw your stomach bandaged up…" He trailed off suggestively, making me know that he knew that there were wounds on my torso, chest, and back.

I shook my head in defiance, refusing to let him see my back-and my wings. I strengthened my mental shield.

"Are you sure? I'm not going to push you but I'm sure that I saw it bandaged. Are you sure you don't me to take a look at it?" He was being a bit persistent and this irritated me. If I wanted him to see my back I would let him.

"Sorry, no."

He nodded, accepting that I didn't want him to mess with me. Good.

Edward POV:

We spent the rest of the night, as Bella slept, deciding what to do when the boy woke up. Who would be in the room, who wouldn't be in the room, what we would say, what we would do.

I knew I had to be in there, along with Bella. Me, to read his thoughts and see what he was, for we were know sure that he was the one blocking our futures which meant he was neither human nor vampire, and Bella to make him feel comfortable. Being with only vampires would be uncomfortable for him to wake up too.

Carlisle had to be there because he needed to be in control of the situation at all times. Esme had to be there to comfort and calm the situation too. The others would stay in the background.

Everybody asked me to try and invade his thoughts while sleeping, and I tried to too, but all I got from him was blurry images, like he was crying in his dreams, of a child. I knew it was a child because of how small it was but the only clear part was that it was burned beyond belief on the left side of its body. I couldn't tell anything else; I couldn't even tell if it was a girl or a boy!

He didn't speak again all night, though words seemed to fill his dream, and again, I couldn't clearly hear them. They were just a jumbled mess. It frustrated me to no end.

Another shocking thing was a constant sense of someone watching him that echoed somewhat clearly through his thoughts. He never woke, but he always felt like someone was watching him as the dream played out. Odd, it was like he already knew how it would end, in a flurry of sadness and loss, even though the dream seemed to have only made its first appearance.

When then sun started to rise real consciousness became clear from his mind. I shushed everyone so that I could focus on his 'voice'.

I _didn't feel as rested as I wanted to when I fell asleep last night. Ugh._ His mental voice entered my brain. Great, the boy was grumpy.

Then he heard our breathing.

_No one else should be here. I was still on the couch I fell asleep on, right?_

Why was he questioning where he was? From what I could get from his mind, there had been times when we woke up in a place that he didn't fall asleep in. How had that happened? I listened more eagerly wanting to find out more.

_They weren't home were they? Was I still alone?_

The boy removed his arm from over his eyes, where he had been resting it. He slowly opened a pair of eyes so dark they were black, like everything else about him. I could see microscopic flecks of gold in them. How unusual.

_Nope, I definitely wasn't alone._

Fear, fear of capture, of being caught, ran through his head as he stared blankly at us, his face emotionless. This boy seemed to be the opposite of Bella; his face was closed off from the world and showed nothing while his thoughts filled up every corner of my mind, overwhelming in their power. Such a contradiction that only I could tell was there.

I listened as he accessed the four of us silently, starting with Bella. I was anxious at first but relaxed when I heard his thoughts; until I heard one that perked my interest.

_They didn't seem to fit her for she was beautiful without the expensive clothes just like Max; only nobody could hold a thing on me anymore for I loved Max only._

This thought got my attention and I ended up staring very rudely at the dark boy, for last night he had said in his sleep something about a Max person. Emmett thought that Max was a guy and that the kid was gay but we all knew he was joking; that was Emmett, he could make a joke out of anything.

So who was this Max girl and why, when he thought about her, were his thoughts not laced with sadness like when he thought about Ang? And what happened to Ang that keeps torturing him?

That was when I realized I couldn't hear his thoughts anymore.

I looked at him in shock and confusion wondering what was going on. It was if his mental voice had been cut off from me, like a door being closed.

I prodded around where he was sitting with my mind, trying to find it again. I was met with a barrier a sort of thick homemade shield that stood between me and his thoughts. I pushed and pulled against this wall, trying to force it down so that I may access his thoughts again, but my attempts were in vain.

How? Nobody has ever been able to block their thoughts from me on purpose before. Not even Bella; how she blocked me was subconscious, without any effort on her part at all, like her heartbeat.

But this kid had been able to, at will, push me out of his mind and lock his thoughts away. It angered me to no end.

_What's wrong Edward?_ Carlisle's thoughts made me focus on reality again.

I shook my head slightly hoping the kid didn't catch that. I wouldn't know now with his thoughts cut off, so we were forced to fly this blind.

Wish me luck, and maybe his wall will fail.

"Well, I'm glad you've finally woken up; you looked like you were having a nightmare." Esme said with her usual cheerful voice, trying to get him to talk.

The boy merely stared at her with an expressionless face for the longest time, his dark eyes oddly piercing. I fought to enter his thoughts again but was disappointed by another failure. Finally, he spoke.

"Thank you for not waking me. I really needed some form of rest last night."

I realized now that this was the first time any of us had every heard him truly speak. Last night he did talk in his dreams, but his voice had been weighted down by sorrow and worry and had only been in whispers. But now, as we heard him speak, his voice matched the rest of him; dark, quiet, and mysterious. His voice showed no affliction and even less emotion, but the gratitude there was still easy enough to hear. Nothing else.

_His feelings are so odd. Everything is forcefully muted, like he's repressing himself from showing too much of his emotions. He must not like to express to others what he's feeling. Yet the emotions that he doesn't try to tame; suspicion, paranoia, claustrophobia, sadness; are all kinda negative. It's all pretty depressing when you think about it. No wonder Rosalie thought he was emo. _

Jasper's thoughts went into my head and I could see that he thought them louder so that I would hear. It was quite interesting hear; and the only thing left that we could analyze was his emotions since I couldn't hear his thoughts and Alice couldn't see his future. And he also wasn't too keen on showing what he thought on his face, from what I could tell.

"You're welcome! You need some food though; you must be starved. But first, do you mind telling me your name?" Esme was ecstatic that she had gotten this boy to respond to her and even more happy that he was thanking her.

He didn't respond beyond that. He just continued to stare, to keep his trained eyes on us at all times.

_He seems like such a sweet kid if you get past the depression. _Her thoughts were gentle_. I just need to get him to open up some more by opening up to him._

"Oh, I'm sorry," my mother said, trying to follow her open-up plan. "I guess I should introduce myself and my family first. My name's Esme and this is my husband Carlisle and my adopted children Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Edward's girlfriend Bella." She pointed her finger at each of us as she told him our names, Emmett and the others emerging from behind the boy.

He looked only dully surprised as he saw them come up behind him, but Jasper felt his shock and paranoia as they emerged from the shadows.

To my intense shock and relief, his protective shield went down.

_The other teens seemed to appear out of nowhere. _As Esme pointed us each out little nicknames appeared in his head.

_Weightlifter, blonde chick, pixie, honey blonde, brunette, bronze-hair._ Not very original with the exception for the weightlifter. If only he knew how much weight Emmett could lift.

He sat there silent til he noticed that we were all waiting for him to tell us his name. He looked at Esme.

_Mom, ha, the woman had to be in her mid-twenties! No wonder they were adopted._

I had to restrain myself from growling at this thought but I knew he was just shocked that a woman who appeared her age would take in teenagers. Still, I think he noticed my antagonizing gaze because the shield gained strength again and I was cut off from his thoughts. I nearly growled again.

Of course, no amount of mindreading could have prepared me for what would happen next.

"Name's Fang," Fang said his voice emotionless as he spoke. Though he did give a small smirk, as if enjoying some private joke with his name. I was confused by it.

_Sounds like a gang name if I ever heard one._ Rosalie seemed determined to find flaws in this boy.

Emmett however found it hilarious.

"Oh, God Rose, his name's FANG!" Emmett's laughter echoed through the house, making the pictures on the walls shake a bit. "I never saw that one coming! Oh man, could it get anymore ironic!"

Emmett was bent over his middle he was laughing so much and Jasper couldn't help but start chuckling too; he couldn't help it.

Wordlessly and with no emotion on his face as usual, Fang stood and walked over to Emmett. We all watched as he grabbed Emmett by the collar and pulled, _pulled_, Emmett's face up to meet his. And since Fang was taller than Emmett, that meant lifting him up an inch off the ground.

Everybody got quiet. Nobody spoke a single word as Emmett's golden eyes met Fang's dark ones.

Fang let all his fury show on his face making him look very frightening. We all froze still in shock as his deathly eyes glared at Emmett with enough power and intimidation to make him tremble slightly and shrink back from his gaze.

"My name is nothing to make fun of so stop laughing before I rip one of your fat muscled arms off and beat you senseless with it." Fang's words were a vicious snarl that rang through the silent room. Something told me he could do it, too.

He glared at Emmett for a moment longer before dropping him back onto the ground. He turned-the emotionless mask back on his face-and walked back to where he was sitting before.

HOW? He shouldn't be able to do that, lift Emmett of the ground like it was nothing. Humans just weren't that strong. Which lead me to the very obvious conclusion.

Fang wasn't human. He was strong as a vampire, could block his thoughts, and smelled weird. Over time most of the burnt-flesh smell dissipated from the house and from him, though some stilled stayed since he was letting off some of it. But other than that he smelled like a human who lived with birds with something, it was so mixed, so merged into his scent.

"You know you don't have to feed me." He was acting as if nothing had happened as he talked to Esme. "I need to get going, I have something I have to do. So if you excuse me," With that he grabbed his book bag off the ground and made his way to the front door.

"Remember to lock the front door next time," Fang muttered, sounding bored.

His shield let down enough for me to get one thought from him.

_Max, even though you can't hear me, I'm coming for you. I love you._

We all stared at him like he had been doing to us the whole time until Carlisle snapped out of it. He dashed over the Fang to fast to be human but Fang's back was turned so he didn't see this.

"Wait, you need to let me get a look at your injures." Carlisle said anxiously, not wanting him to leave just yet. He still wanted to know more about him. Fang turned to Carlisle.

"I saw that you had some bandages covering you and I wanted to check out your injures to make sure they are OK. I'm a professional doctor so don't worry." He continued giving a small smile.

Fang's face visible paled at the word doctor. Jasper sensed an intense fear and anger come off him. I could almost see the traumatic memories flash past his eyes even though his mind was still closed off.

_Maybe that wasn't the best word to use._ Carlisle thought regretfully.

"I'm fine; really." I would have thought Fang's voice would have been shaking, but it was steady as always. "No doctor needed. I'm pretty good at recognizing and using medical supplies so I'm good. Thanks anyway." He tried to turn to leave again.

Carlisle put a firm hand on his shoulder, making him stay put. Fang hissed in pain and Carlisle let go, giving him an apologetic look.

"Sorry; but that just proves me right, you need professional medical attention. Why didn't you just go to the hospital in Forks and ask for some help?" _This kid needs serious attention, why didn't he go?_

"Forks? That's where I am…" Fang trailed off, seeming to talk to himself. He looked like he was thinking about something.

"You don't know what town you're in?" Carlisle asked shocked. "Just come with me please, we can go into my office." My father didn't give him a chance to get away as he took off up the stairs to his office. We all followed them with our eyes, making Fang kinda uncomfortable. I didn't need to read his mind to know that, even though I still couldn't; he was claustrophobic, so the attention would kill him.

I mentally saw, with Carlisle's eyes, Carlisle lead him into his office and motion for Fang to sit down as he pulled himself up a chair. Fang obeyed.

"Now, I saw your hands and arms were bandaged up. Do you mind if I check them out? I won't do anything that you don't want me to." Carlisle immediately slipped into the voice he uses to sooth his patience's.

Fang nodded, silent but seemingly uncomfortable.

Fang held up his arms and slipped up his sleeves for Carlisle to see; they went up to his shoulders, covering those up. Carlisle snatched up a pair of scissors from his desk and snipped away the wrappings. They dropped down revealing a pair of broken and bloody knuckles and burns and cuts all over his arms. A few bruises too.

Carlisle gasped along with me. It looked horribly painful.

_My dear God, what happened to this child! He looks like he got pummeled by a bear and then started a wrestling match with a forest fire! This is why the burnt flesh smell was coming off of him, he was roasted. It seems to be concentrated on the back of his arms though. _

He then saw the slightly anxious look on Fang's face.

"Don't worry; it's not too bad for third degree burns. But these will take weeks to heal and they already look a fourth of the way done. How long ago did you get these? It's crucial that I know when you got them." _He couldn't have gotten them too long ago, they smell fresh. Yet they are healed so advanced…_

"I just got them yesterday morning," Fang replied, sounding truthful. We all listened from downstairs aside from Bella, who Alice was whispering the conversation to so she would know what was going on.

Carlisle couldn't stop the shock from showing on his face for a split second. _Yesterday morning! There is no way he's already this healed if he got them only that long ago. It just doesn't make sense. He'd have to heal super fast, like the wolves, to achieve this level of healing. _Carlisle tried to mentally calculate how long it would take to heal them fully. Four days, he guessed.

Great, the boy can heal super fast too. He was getting less human as time went on.

"Well," he said, trying to calm down. "they seem to be healing up nicely. If they continue at this rate then you should be completely healed in a week at the most, since it takes most people weeks to heal fully."

Carlisle made sure to say this out loud incase Fang had sure hearing too and would catch me whispering it to the others downstairs.

Carlisle continued his examination, trying to find other things that pointed out what was inhuman with him. He was finishing looking over Fang's knuckles when Fang spoke again.

"They should be good by tonight," he said in a soft yet sure tone. Carlisle looked up in shock that Fang had said something first. It was unlike what we had flushed out his character.

"Have you damaged your knuckles like this before?"

"No, not this bad. I just know they'll be better by then." _Interesting, he knows the time span of his healing._

"Well, your arms seem to be healing very nicely. Now, is there any other place that you're injured? I think I saw your stomach bandaged up…" Carlisle didn't really finish the sentence, asking for permission to examine the part of Fang that he already knew was most hurt.

Fang shook his head without hesitation, shocking us both slightly. _If he was hurt why would he not want to get better?_ Carlisle's question was a replica of my own. This kid was weird.

"Are you sure? I'm not going to push you but I'm sure that I saw it bandaged. Are you sure you don't me to take a look at it?" Carlisle tried to let him get a look, wondering what he was hiding. Or was he just uncomfortable?

"Sorry, no." Fang's tone made it final; we would not see what was underneath his sweatshirt.

Carlisle nodded reluctantly, knowing he couldn't push him into anything; Fang was stubborn.

And a dark, silent, inhuman mystery.

One that we would figure out.

Was that good enough? Wow, this was 21 pages, that's the longest yet! Rosalinda316, I hope I answered some of your questions.

I was already working on this chapter when I read your review and I want to thank you for the compliment! Here is to you! I love readers who keep up with stories they like.

If you are wondering why Fang seemed like such a sap at the beginning of this chapter it's because I wanted to show how traumatic the experience of loosing his family was for him. I seen it happens before and let me tell you, people can turn into a mess when they loose someone important to them. My sister's friend lost her mother recently and she was a huge mess for a while, she didn't even go to school. Dido for my best friend last year when she lost her grandpa. So if you were wondering that's my explanation. Fang won't be crying in his sleep anymore though so don't worry.

By the way, I wanted to give you a preview since I'm already working on the next chapter. It should be out by the 14h. If not, I give you permission to hunt me down and shoot me.

Preview:

_Another gust of wind, similar to the one that alerted us to the smell in the first place, blew now, hitting us with their scent even stronger than before, strong enough so that we could smell ashes, bird, and-_

_We all stiffened and Jake started shaking._

_Blood._

How is that for a preview? Like I said, shoot me if it's not up by the 14th.

Songs I listened to:

_How You Remind Me by Nickelback_

_The Dairy of Jane by Breaking Benjamin_

_Someday by Nickelback_

_Scars by Papa Roach_

_Monster by Skillet_

~Sweevil Out!


	4. The Fallen Angel

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. *yawns* These thing are so boring.

Thank you to all the people who have reviewed so far. I love compliments. But I also love criticism too so if you have something you want to say about the story, do it!

Leah's POV:

_The night before…_

It was a normal patrol.

Sam was yelling at Paul and Embry for fighting, Quil and Jacob laughed when Sam kicked their asses, and Jared taught the younger members of the Pack, Brady, Collin, and Seth, some new fighting moves. I just sat in the back and thought about how stupid they all were.

_Well, if we're so stupid why don't you go do something productive Leah?_ Jacob said, grinning.

_That's a great idea Jacob; let us do something productive, like our jobs. Quil, Collin, and Jared go south, Paul, Brady, Embry go north, Leah, Jake, Seth, and I will go east. Now!_ The Alpha command gave a subtle force in his voice, making us all immediately get up and go.

We ran east, closer and closer to the border we had with those bloodsucking leeches. Sometimes I wish we could just kill them all.

_Patience Leah, we can't get ahead of ourselves. Only when they break the treaty will we strike. Calm down._ Sam's voice soothed me slightly as we ran with me in the front.

That was when a huge gust of wind blew right towards out faces from the border. I expected to smell the stench of vampires but was surprised to smell something else instead.

It was human. But not completely human, for there was a scent that I thought to be bird merged into it, but it was somewhat human.

All four of us stopped and sniffed the air, curious about the new scent. I had never smelled this before in my life, and it intrigued me. Who could possibly smell as if they were raised by birds or something like that?

The answer came in a not-so-faraway sound. It was heartbeat, I immediately recognized, even though something was off about it.

_It sounds like one of our heartbeats_, Seth realized.

The rest of us gasped in shock as I found this to be true. The sound was way to fast for any human to have, even when surged with adrenaline. As we listened longer, we could all pick up on the sound of lungs gasping for air and footsteps pushing through the forest.

Someone was running.

From who or what I didn't know, but as the smell of bird and human filled my nose, I knew it didn't really matter.

_Maybe the person is running from the bloodsuckers,_ Jacob thought angrily.

_We don't know that Jacob, but whoever it is needs help, so we have to go find them and help them._ And with that said Sam set off running towards the person, whose footsteps were no longer hearable.

We stopped when we got to a clearing, for we could all hear the person's heartbeat right behind a tree barely twenty feet in front of us. I saw the edge of a jacket sticking out from behind the tree, along with a bare foot.

A human bare foot.

_There's no way they're human! They don't even smell human! I swear they must have slept in a birdhouse at the Seattle Zoo or something! _Seth mentally yelled in shock.

_Shut up Seth_, we all three chorused, effectively shutting my brother up. He snorted.

_I'm going to try and coax them out,_ I said.

_Go for it Leah_ was Sam's only response.

I whimpered quickly, trying to sound like a sad lost puppy who just wanted some comfort. I was perfect at it. I saw the foot flinch, but otherwise not move one single inch.

Jacob mentally laughed. _Guess you weren't as good at sounding so sweet and innocent as you thought you were Leah. I don't know why you tried; you are the opposite of sweet and innocent. The Wicked Witch of the West, not Dorothy._ Jake laughed some more.

_Shut it dirtbag. I'm doing a heck of a lot better job than you ever would. So put a muzzle on it for a minute so I can get this scared child out from behind that tree._

I whimpered again, louder this time as I tried to get their attention. I sounded so sad and lonely even I felt bad for myself. But the person didn't budge, didn't move an inch from their spot. I think they were to tense to move.

Another gust of wind, similar to the one that alerted us to the smell in the first place, blew now, hitting us with their scent even stronger than before, strong enough so that we could smell ashes, bird, and-

We all stiffened and Jake started shaking.

Blood.

Jake let out a harsh snarl in defiance, making the person on the other side let out a shriek. Definitely female.

_Oh hell, they're bleeding! I know those nasty bloodsuckers have something to do with this, I just know it! I bet they attacked her or something! Why I'm gonna go there and rip their snobby little pale heads off!_ Jacob started yelling a bunch of mental profanities at the bloodsuckers, unable to think anything else.

Jake stared at the tree as if to focus all his anger there while Sam and Seth told him to calm down.

_It could have just been a hiking accident Jake, cool down._

_Stop growling right now Jacob Black. Do you know how much you just frightened her?_

I wanted to growl at him too for ruining my soothing techniques but just as I was about to the person stuck their head out from behind the tree.

We all saw through Jacob's eyes-for he was the only one looking at her-the girl's face.

She was pale, like she had gone through some pretty bad blood loss, but her face was flushed as well from breathing hard. She had two large brown eyes that widened when she took us in. Blood dripped down her nose like it had been broken even though it didn't look broken now. Brown hair, damp with blood and sweat, stuck to her neck, the blonde streaks in it nearly invisible in the night. Her mouth dropped when she saw us and she immediately pulled her head back behind the tree.

_You guys are all idiots! Didn't you think about switching back into humans before trying to alert her you were there? Think for once! _Quil howled angrily to us from far away, and I could see through his eyes that he and his group were coming to assist. Sam didn't disagree, nor reprimand him for the statement. We all saw Quil was right.

_Thank you! Somebody admits I'm right for once. The appreciation is graciously taken with my utmost thanks._

_You're an idiot Quil_, I spat back, ending his victory party.

_Will both of you shut up!_ Sam said irritably, taking a step forward, towards me. _Why do you always have to fight with everyone Leah?_ He asked me, his mind venturing back to times he recalled me fighting and bickering with every single person here, especially Jake.

_I feel so loved_, Jacob thought back sarcastically.

I was about to answer both of them-Sam with a flawless excuse and Jake with a scratch to the face-when suddenly the girl shot out from her hiding spot.

We all tensed in shock, not expecting this.

_What were you expecting, her to just sit there while you bickered_ _with Sam and Jake?_ Seth thought back.

I didn't respond but took off running after her. The rest off them started running after me, but no one could ever keep up with me, even though Jacob tried.

But this girl! I shot off as fast as I can and she still stayed ahead of me by a good ten feet.

It wasn't humanly possible. Nobody and I mean nobody can outrun a werewolf.

Unless you're an angel; who is exactly what this girl was. I heard shocked gasps, including my own, as I saw the two white and brown wings that trailed behind her back, slightly burnt on the feathers. She wore a sweatshirt to try and hide it, but it torn to shreds, especially on the back. We could see the two extra limbs folded up against her spine.

She payed no attention though, and I think I even heard her let out a crazed laugh.

Jake was right on my heels, racing me to see who could reach her first, this angel. He let out a frustrated growl beside me.

_Why the hell can't we catch her? _Jake growled angrily.

She passed a large puddle that was from the constant rain this place has and I saw a shocked look on her face reflected in the water; like she couldn't believe we were so close behind her.

_I can't believe she's so far in front of us,_ I complained.

She looked back and I saw the raw fear on her face. It killed me inside to know that I was one of the monsters that put that look there.

The girl let out a single cry as she fell unexpectedly and collided with the soft earthy ground, falling face first.

_Ouch. _Seth murmured.

Neither Jake nor I could stop ourselves in time so we leaped over the angel before skidding to a halt in front of her. We turned around in synchronization, walking back over to the girl. Both of us looked down on her as Sam and Seth met up with us.

_Glad to know you're so aware of me Leah,_ Jake said with a goofy wolf grin. I fought the urge to slap him.

_Is she OK?_ Sam asked, concerned for her, a total stranger. It hurt my heart, but I shook it off.

We got our answer as the smell of blood reached our noses. She was hurt again.

_I'm going to take Quil's advice_, I told them, and dashed off into the trees. Quickly calming myself, I felt my shape piece itself back together so that I human again.

Slipping on my clothes, I walked back to the angel.

She was lying on the ground, still as can be, so I leaned down to check her pulse and see if she was alright.

I was met with her brown eyes as my black ones bored into her. Then she shut them closed, covering them with her eyelids.

I rested my palm of my hand against her neck and felt her too fast pulse with my fingers. It slowed a bit as the sound of her sleeping came over her and I wondered ideally if angels really needed to sleep.

"She's out cold and even though my eyesight isn't as good human I can still see blood trickling down her face from a cut on her forehead. Let's get her to Emily's place so that we can treat her wounds. I think she injured her…wings."

I was about to pick her up when I saw Jake, in human form, come up beside me and picked her up in his arms, bridal style.

We started walking, two wolves, two humans, and an angel, to Emily's house, hurrying to get there. This girl didn't look so well.

We got there in no time and me and Jake went ahead while Sam and Seth stayed back to change.

"Is she heavy?" I wondered. She looked skinny so she couldn't be that bad.

"Nope, this girl's light as a feather," he said before giving a small chuckle at his bad joke.

"Shut your trap," I mumbled even though I was the one to talk first. I sighed.

I opened the back door that leads right into the living room as Jake carried her in and set her on the couch. I then went off to alert Emily to call in a doctor and the rest of the elders while Jake grabbed the emergency kit.

Emily.

Me and my cousin had a very…complicated relationship now, since this whole wolf thing started. I don't blame or hate her for stealing Sam away, I blame and hate the whole werewolf thing for that along with tons of other stuff. But I hate her for enjoying it. I hate him for enjoying it. It wasn't that I don't want her to be happy for we use to be best friends when we were younger; it is that I don't want her to make _him_ happy. I know that no matter what she does he'll love her, but a very jealous and selfish part of wishes it didn't, wishes that she would do something someday that will disgust him and hurt him so bad that he'll never come back to her. But I've seen similar happen to Bella and that leech and they still forgave each other immediately, so I had little hope on that.

Aside from that, I hated that she didn't even try to mask it. I could walk into the room when they are kissing, hugging, or just touching and she won't even try to stop it, not even for my sake. She just lets it go on, even though I see the guilt and apologizes in her eyes. It made me hate her just a little less.

But I don't want that. Even though a more reasonable part of me knows that the less hate I have for her, the easier it will be for me since I'll always have to share Sam's thoughts, my survival instinct tells me that holding on to that hate makes it easier. Easier to cope with the loss, easier to endure his thoughts of her day after day, and just easier to survive if I keep a good strong hold onto it. It makes all the broken promises move a little further back into my mind.

"Hey Leah," Emily said as I found her in her and Sam's bathroom, brushing her teeth. She was already in her pajamas and slippers. "What are you doing here so early; shouldn't you guys be on patrol?" She gave me a confused look.

"We found a girl in the woods; she was injured pretty badly. Call Billy, Old Quil, and Sue; we need the elders and a professional nurse here pronto." My voice was slightly rushed and filled with worry for this innocent angel.

"My God," she murmured, distressed. "I'm on it right away." She dropped her toothbrush and wiped her mouth before snatching her cellphone off the counter, dialing the numbers. I returned to the living room.

It was full now with all of the pack inside, human of course. I manage to squeeze in and make my way to the couch, beside Jake.

"How is she?" She looked horrible with the bruised and burned skin along with broken knuckles. I think her right arm was broken; it was just rest there at an odd angle on her chest. The new gash on her forehead, now being covered with a cloth that was pushed down by Seth, wouldn't help any.

"Ok, Ok, not everybody will fit in here. Jared, Quil, Embry, Collin, Brady, Paul, all of you, outside now. We still have patrols to do and whatever attacked her might still be out there. Whether human or not, bring it back here if you find anything abnormal. Unless it's a vamp, then kill it." Sam was probably getting as claustrophobic as I was with everyone in this medium sized room. I nodded a thanks for letting me stay. He smiled.

They all filed out of the room to give us some space. Minutes later Billy, Old Quil, and Mom got here. They quickly entered as Emily came in and gave a supportive hug to Sam. I looked away.

"Who was hurt?" Jake's dad was the first to speak. I saw Mom come in with some of her medical equipment. Jake and Seth went out to get the rest of it.

"This girl, here on the couch. Be warned; she isn't human." Sam pointed to the girl before him. She had been laid on her side when put down so that her back was facing out. Everyone gasped as they saw her wings; Jake had already taken off her ruined sweatshirt.

"How…" Old Quil trailed off, telling me that he knew as much about her as we did.

"That's what we were wondering if you knew. Sadly, it's obvious you don't know a thing about this angel girl." Sam sighed. I could tell he was frustrated. Sam didn't like mysteries.

My mom wasted no time going up to her and immediately checking her over.

"I've never been a vet before, even with werewolf children." My mom smiled at me and Seth, who had just come back in with Jacob. "But I'll give it a shot. Let's start with the wounds that aren't on her wings." My mom had no trouble or hesitation at saying the 'w' word and went to work.

My mom was an excellent nurse and a very much-focused worker; if she got a project she focused on that and that only. It completely took up her mind. I watched as she bandaged up her wounds, wrapped up her cuts, and wiped away the dried and fresh blood. She proceeded to, with Jake's help, carry her to the bathroom. She and Emily dragged me in there, saying they needed someone to hold her up as they washed the ash and fried feathers' off of her. Jake left after that.

I did as they asked and held the girl up in bathtub as they stripped her of her clothes and began to wash the dead skin and dirt mixed with ash off of her body. Only my raptor vision could see the invisible scars coating her, along with newer ones that weren't that invisible. Emily looked saddened by the visible ones, and knew she was thinking about her own scars. I even saw her stroke them once and then stroke her own face. I felt sorry for both of them.

We finished up fast and mom sewed up the cuts on her and her wings before wrapping them up completely in protective wrappings. They folded in less when she was done and they looked uncomfortable but they worked, so I carried her carefully back into the living room after Emily put some of her clothes on her, a shirt and shorts.

I heard Sam, Jacob, and the two elders talking in hushed voices in the kitchen.

"I know the Cullen's had something to do with this." Jacob fumed angrily.

"I didn't smell any vampire on her Jake. Cool it for once." Sam commanded.

"We have no clue who or what this girl is, there are no legends of flying girls that I know of. Not even angels, though there are many other cultures that believe in angels of some sort. We'll just have to wait til she wakes and then ask her for answers. She's too hurt to leave anyway so it will be easy to keep her here til we have all the answers we need." Billy's words got on my nerves. You can't force anybody to do what you say! Arrogant elders, they are almost as arrogant as the bloodsuckers at times.

I could feel the disgust on my face. Seth saw my expression I saw an identical one on his face. Good, he agreed with me.

"I agree. Wait til she wakes up and then ask her. She looks injured though and will probably be scared when she wakes up so take it slow and be gentle. Try not to intimidate her." Old Quil's words soothed me a little from my disgust. I planned on being there when she woke up. She would need female support.

The four of them came back into the room and Sam saw that we had heard the conversation. He shouldn't look so surprised; Seth and I have as good of hearing as he does.

"We need to camp out here til she wakes. Emily and the Elders are going to go sleep while Sue you stay in here. I need you to keep a constant watch on her. I'm going to help the rest of the pack by giving them info and finding out where she came from. Seth, Leah, and Jake, you guys help Sue in any way you can. Contact me when she wakes. We'll all be back around sunrise." Sam's orders were very clear and everybody immediately followed them. Emily lead Billy and Quil to the guest bedrooms, Sam went outside, and Sue got to work at hooking up some heart monitor machines to the poor girl. Seth and Jacob went to help her.

I on the other hand, went into the kitchen to grab some food. We would all need some serious snacks, even mom, if we wanted to stay up all night. I usually did that anyway but mom didn't so food might energize her.

I ravaged the kitchen and came out with several large biscuits, jam, butter, and tons of bacon. I carried this into the room and Jacob and Seth were attacking me immediately.

"I smelt bacon," Jacob said, stuffing a handful into his mouth.

"I love you sis," Seth said, putting two biscuits in his mouth ay once.

"Pigs; this food isn't just for you, me and mom need some too." I moved out of reach and went over to Sue.

"Want some?"

"Sure thing, honey." Mom grabbed a biscuit from the pile and covered it with jam before eating it quickly. I turned back around to the guys, setting the food on a coffee table, and proceeded to eat like an animal, no pun intended.

That was how the night went. Mom would keep an eye on the girl, I would help and watch, and the boys would constantly stuff their faces with leftovers. Disgusting.

Sunrise came before I knew it and mom disconnected the wires from the girl, knowing that waking up to a bunch of machines beeping would be a little frightening. The rest of the guys returned and soon everybody was squished into the room again. They claimed that her smell came from the Cullen's territory so they couldn't follow it fully. My mom went into another extra bedroom to get some well-deserved sleep.

We all watched, with Sam in front and me and Jake close behind, as the angel girl woke up.

It went completely different from what I was expecting.

MPOV:

Everything hurt.

I should have expected this. Every memory from the day and night before came rushing into my head and I really should have expected this.

But like always, I didn't.

My arms felt stiff and there was a feeling of something covering all the hurting parts. But then again, everything hurt.

I was dizzy; it wasn't that I could remember, it was that I couldn't focus on one thing in my mind for too long so I developed this nauseous feeling. I tried not to throw up.

My wings felt heavy, like lead. What had they done to them? I could feel something pressing on them from all sides, like it was wrapped around them. I hoped they weren't snakes.

My whole back tingled, along with my arms, legs, and wings. Every place that got burned.

I struggled against the part of my brain that told me to go back to sleep, to not open my eyes.

I opened them anyway.

To my intense shock there were about seven huge muscled men standing in front of me, peering down with anxious and excited eyes. They all were like the girl I saw last night before I blanked out with dark skin and dark eyes. They all had short black hair aside from one guy, the largest, whose hair looked grown out. My eyes also spotted the girl from last night, right behind the front man who was also the oldest looking.

Immediately my instincts took over.

I leaped unexpectedly from the couch, knocking the front guy into the largest and the female right behind him. Swinging my right fist to the left, it connected with another guy's nose, causing it to bleed. He stumbled back, shocked. A younger kid with slightly lighter hair leaped at me and tried to get a hold but I grabbed him and threw him at two others charging at me, knocking them all successfully to the ground. Two more boys, they were obviously still young boys, charged me and got a hold of one arm each. I struggled but they were strong, til I extended my wings, hitting them both in-between the eyes with them. I noticed they were both completely covered in white wrappings. The kids let go and I made a run for the door, retracting my wings. My broken arm was throbbing from punching that guy with it, his face was hard as a tree. Hands grasped my shoulders and my knees gave in as pain exploded in me at the strong grasp; it was more like he was squeezing my shoulders with his tremendous strength. I cried out.

"Now calm down a second and let us explain." A husky voice from behind me said, and I felt him wrap his arms around me completely, pushing my back against his chest. He was taller than me, a shocker, but only by a few inches; he would be around Iggy's height were he still alive.

That thought, along with the feeling of hands grabbing both my arms and holding them still, made me fight harder.

_I will not become dog chow; I will not become dog chow._

But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't make them let go; they were as strong as Erasers, maybe stronger. Plus, I was banged and bandaged up pretty bad-

Wait a second, bandaged?

When had I gotten medical treatment? I never remember going to a hospital or any other care facility. Had these strangers really helped me out, or were they doing something to me with some kind of drug or medication?

I focused as the guy who I saw first, the front guy, come up to my face with his hands held up in surrender. I growled menacingly.

"What the hell do you want? Why did you bring me here? Who are you?" The basic interrogation questions came pouring out of my mouth, full of venom. They looked scared now, I'll make him scared.

"Please, please calm down; we're not going to hurt you. We were wondering the exact same things about you. But please calm down and stop attacking us." I was odd how he spoke in a plural like that but, with one last death glare for all of them and another growl, I stopped struggling.

"Hey Mister Big-and-Tough back there; mind letting go of me? You're hurting my wings and my back ain't so good with the physical contact yet. You little pups too." I looked at the two boys holding onto my arms and they quickly let go, but the guy behind me held on. I think he looked at the front man.

"It's OK Jacob, you can let go." The boy carefully released me and I immediately took forward, not caring that it took me a step closer to the talkative one. The wariness that he would grab me again was too great.

I realized now that this small living room; I could tell it was a living room for it had a couch and TV; was very crowded with all theses people in it. Especially when half of them were tensed for another confrontation.

"Hello," the talkative one said. It was like he was the leader of this group of burly guys.

"Hello," I growled back, not caring to be kind. I couldn't afford to be sweet and kind because I wasn't in the mood when I wake up in an unfamiliar place and I was outnumbered so I needed intimidation if I wanted to get out of here.

"I'm sorry that you're in pain but we didn't exactly want you attacking us." The one I punched repositioned his nose, winching. I smirked cockily. "I guess explaining who we are and why you are here might make you feel more comfortable.

"Letting me leave this tiny room might make me feel comfortable…" I mumbled, angered that he didn't go ahead and tell me why I was here in the crowded room with a bunch of guys who spent way too much time in the gym. Must have membership cards.

"Sorry if this place is kinda small for all of us but we had no other place we could take you." His voice seemed sincere, patient. Well you need a lot of patience to deal with me, buddy.

"Well the size of the room isn't the only thing that's making me uncomfortable it's you guys. I mean come on. Between all of you you'd think one person would own a shirt here. At least she wears one." I said, pointing the girl I remembered from last night. "You don't see her parading around half naked. At least, I hope not." The girl blushed furiously and I could see the want to claw my eyes out clearly written on her face. The other guys blushed too and something told me that my statement wasn't entirely true.

"We get too hot." The leader said, before getting serious again.

"And like I said I'll explain who we are. I am Sam and this is Jacob, Quil, Embry, Paul, Jared, Seth, Collin, Brady, and Leah." He pointed to each overly muscular guy as he said their name, along with the girl last. This irked me; the girl didn't need to be said last. Sexist pig.

"So what are you guys, new and improved Erasers? I knew Itex wasn't dead, I just knew it. This is why I didn't go home. It never ends!" I threw my arms in frustration, knowing I was trapped with these new hybrids. It was obvious that these huge teens were the wolves from last night; I could tell. It was an instinct.

_Good job Maximum; follow your instincts when confronted with danger. They are usually the only thing that keeps you alive in a fight. But don't forget to think things through too._

_I know that already! Gosh, if you never leave me alone then I can't exactly think things through for myself now can I?_

_I am merely here to help you Maximum, and know this; these guys you will do best to not rile up. When angered, they become very dangerous, out of control. So control yourself._

_Thanks, I guess. You only ever give me half answers; would telling me what I'm facing against for once really kill you?_

_You said it yourself; they're Erasers._

_But I don't know anything about these Erasers. A little help please?_

I got nothing.

"Erasers?" Sam asked, along with many other members of this Pack, including Leah.

I simply stared at him confused; didn't he know what he was?

"I've never heard of those before." Sam continued in question.

"Wait a second; if you're not Erasers then what are you because I clearly remember seeing several large wolves chasing me and that fits the Eraser bill, even though they don't run on four legs and look more like the Wolfman than a stray puppy on steroids like you guys do." My insults were met with soft growl by some of the boys and suddenly the Voice's warning didn't seem so weightless.

"We are werewolves." Sam said simply. I gaped. Half-human half-wolf hybrids were one thing, but full moon howling werewolves were another thing. "What are Erasers?"

"Hybrids, like me. They have the DNA of wolves and humans."

"You're a hybrid? I thought you were an angel?" This guy was clearly confused, along with the rest of his Pack.

I bust out laughing.

"An Angel! God, even though that really isn't original at all, I'm very far from being any sort of angel. I've killed more people than you've met in your whole life." My snorting laughs went down to chuckles as I quickly controlled myself.

"You're a killer?" Leah snarled from behind Sam, moving to his side. She got into a fighting stance and I mirrored her immediately.

"I only kill those you deserve it." I snarled back. I could take this girl down easy. It was the guys I was worried about.

"What do mean they deserve it? Who are you?" Sam asked, the master of calm. It annoyed me greatly how he didn't see me as enough of a threat to even tense up. Dead men are the only ones who make the mistake of underestimating Maximum Ride.

I sighed and relaxed, knowing that story time was about to happen.

_You can trust the Pack. They will help you reach your ultimate goal_.

Huh. Since my current ultimate goal was to find Fang, I guess they will help me somehow. Besides, me telling my story will probably get them to tell me theirs'.

"My name is Maximum Ride."

So I told them. About the School, about whitecoats, Erasers, the Flock, Ari, Jeb, New York, Virginia, Germany, Omega, and the explosion. By the time I was done all the wolves were staring at me with awestruck faces.

"Amazing!"

"I never would have thought of such a thing happening in my life."

"So these Erasers are like what, our cousins?"

"That's a horrible life to have to live through."

"How have you survived so long?"

"I would be devastated if I lost everybody like that!"

"I'm surprised you haven't gone insane by now."

I personally agreed with the last one.

"Hush, hush, everyone. Well, that was a…shocking story Maximum. Even a very interesting name, I must say." Sam had a small smile on his face now.

"It's just Max Sam." I told him "I don't like to be called by my full name. Now, tell me your story."

And he did. Every Pack member told their own personal story, one at a time. They commented on each other's stories. By the end, I got a pretty good idea of what being a werewolf was, and what Pack life was like.

I also learned a lot about the vampires. I was kinda shocked when they told me that they existed to destroy vampires like I existed to save the world.

But from what I could get, I really couldn't tell if the vamps were the bad guys. I thought most of their words were spoken in prejudice, and even though I did agree that destroying monsters that killed humans was good, these Cullen's seemed different. They seemed to be fighting their nature, I saw that as something to admire. Anybody that wanted to change what everybody expected of them, somebody who wanted to go against the norm and do there own thing for the good of others was in my good books. I told the wolves this and they all gave me disgusted faces but had to admit that this was true. Though some of them were stubborn enough to resist my point of view.

The reason I thought this was because of Ari. Even though he was an Eraser and was doomed to be evil and kill me, he went against it in the end and helped me instead. He was different; an exception. He did the right thing and didn't deserve to die. Just like the others.

This Bella girl was another thing that the wolves told me about. They all were annoyed that she cared so much about a vampire that could kill he any second but again I admired her strength. She didn't listen to what others told her was right and decided it for herself. And I thought she had a pretty straight head on her shoulders. She knew which people to trust and which to be afraid of. And that was also something to be admired; she seemed to see people's true colors and loved them for it. Very unprejudiced of her. She kinda reminded me of myself.

By now it was late in the afternoon and I heard footsteps from down the hall. We all turned and saw two women and two old men, one in a wheelchair, come down the hall. The disabled one looked a bit like Jake while the other man looked kinda like an older version of Quil. It was Billy and Quil Sr. The women I recognized, from the wolves' description, Emily and Sue. The all stopped when they saw me and I knew they were shocked to see me up and awake.

Billy cleared his throat. "Well it seems we slept in and are yet to be introduced."

I walked up to him and held out my bandaged hand.

"Maximum Ride at your service. Nice to meet you Billy Black. Sam and the rest of the Pack told me all about everything and it is amazing you are still alive having to deal with your knucklehead of a son." He held up his hand with an amused smile and nodded.

"Me either," he agreed.

"Hey!" Everybody laughed.

Old Quil held out his hand next. "Quil Sr. nice to meet you Maximum."

"It's just Max."

"Of course. Just call me Old Quil."

The young woman was next.

"Emily, I'm Sam's fiancé. Nice to meet you."

"Same here, even though I haven't really been waiting to meet you since I only knew you were here for a few minutes." I smiled but Emily looked a little confused. I smiled wider.

The older woman, Sue, came up to me without bothering to shake my hand, grabbing mine and dragging me back to the couch.

"My name's Sue but I already know your name since you just repeated it three times. And you need to rest, so lay down right now. You are still recovering and being up and moving like this isn't good; I'm a nurse, I know these things." Sue demanded and pushed my butt down onto the couch. This got my temper going.

"Well, no hello, fine. I'm Max and one, you try to tell me what to do and I'll be scarier than any werewolf and two, I know more than you ever will so shut your trap about 'knowing these things'." I stood back up and got into her face, which was several inches below mine; I was pretty tall at 5'9'. I was as tall Leah in her freaky wolf mutated body. Then again I had wings so I really couldn't call them freaky.

My glare didn't make her back down an inch. Brave woman, I'll give that.

"No way young lady, you are going to listen to me. I am a professional nurse and I demand that you rest for a while. Now lay back down and at least let me check your wounds to see how you are doing." Her voice was pretty demanding and left no room for debate though I'm sure I could find some if I tried. But I had to admit I was still exhausted from yesterday even though I slept past dawn unlike normal. So, like the good little girl that I definitely wasn't ever going to be, I sat down and listened to Sue.

It was funny to see her face when she opened up the wrappings and saw how far healed I was. The burns wouldn't take but about four more days til they were gone and most of my bruises were halfway healed. The cuts from flying debris were gone and my nose was OK. My knuckles were pretty bad from punching Omega so I still had another day on them but other than that I was doing pretty well.

When the Sue say this she was no less then shocked til I told her that I healed fast similar to the wolves. The medical treatment that she gave me also helped speed up the process. She seemed proud of that.

My thoughts turned to Fang. How was he doing? He had to be just as hurt as I was, if not worse, and I knew there was no way he was getting medical treatment like I was.

Then a thought occurred to me.

"Guys, Fang! I don't know where he is and he got hurt just as bad as I did! What if he went to the hospital to get help? We need to make sure he didn't go and give away our secret like last time. Itex will be here pronto if he does that!"

I was in extreme worry mode now. Hospitals held horrible memories for me and Fang, and him being there alone left infinite possibilities for trouble. I needed someone to go check that place pronto.

"Don't worry Max, we are on it. We'll help you find your lost best friend. Sue, me and you will go to the hospital to check. Everyone else, go into the woods and La Push. Except for you Leah, you stay here with Max to make sure nothing happens here. We need to track this boy down for Max." Everybody nodded and went to work. Leah sat down with a thump beside me on the couch and watched with me as the room cleared like a school building on the last day.

She sighed beside me. I turned to her.

"You guys don't need to do this you know. I can find Fang on my own and being looked over like a little kid when their parents go out is unnecessary. I just met you guys." I tried to explain. Leah was having none of that.

"Forget it Max, we are going to help you heal and find your boyfriend in no time. Your story is to tragic to not have a happy ending of some kind." She shook her head at me.

"I don't need you guys' pity!" I growled, angry. "I don't need anybody's pity. And even though I admit that I love Fang he's not my boyfriend. More like a brother." I had told them that Fang had kissed me several times, trying to give the full story. They had ended up embarrassing me. I had nearly pummeled their sorry butts until Sam stopped me.

"Max, Max, Max," Leah chastised me. "I know a love stricken girl in denial when I see one. And you are serious denial about it Max. Why?"

I looked down, trying not to believe her words. I was not in denial, I was just telling the truth! I didn't love Fang. Did I?

I remembered last night when I thought about how loosing Fang was worse than loosing the rest of the Flock. I thought about, when we were fighting Omega and were starting to loose, I considered ways to get Fang out when we went down. I thought about all the times in the past when the only one that I could trust, the only one who I could truly depend on was Fang, and knew that Leah had a point.

"I can't think about that right now Leah, I just can't. Not when I don't even know where he is. When I see him again, I will think about how I feel about him, OK?" I said.

"Sure thing Max, that sounds like a good idea. But remember this; love isn't easy for anyone, even angels."

I laughed at how the Pack still thought of me as an angel of some sort and laid down on the couch, deciding that rest will let me heal enough so I could help them find Fang.

_Fang, even though you can't hear me, I'm coming for you. I think I love you._

How's that? I know that was the longest yet but I couldn't find a good place to stop. And I give you permission to hunt me down since I'm over two hours late. I won't give you guys a fight.

Sorry but I'm a little behind since my family went to an amusement and water park called Carowinds on the border between North and South Carolina. It's really awesome and if you live in the area, ride the Intimidator! It rules and is suppose to be the longest, fastest, and tallest ride in the Southeastern United States. Is that not cool? I've rode it about eight times total now!

Sorry, no preview. I haven't started yet on the next chapter though I have ideas. If you have any I'm open to suggestions.

Now for Songs.

_**Potential Breakup Song by Aly and AJ**_ _**Bullseye by Aly and AJ**_ _**Like Whoa by Aly and AJ**_ _**Chemicals React by Aly and AJ (I'm listening to them because I just found my I-pod and that's nearly all I got on there)**_ _**Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood**_ _**Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani**_ _**Love Like Woe by The Ready Set**_ _**Clumsy by Fergie**_ _**Glamorous by Fergie**_ _**Fergalicious by Fergie **_


	5. Conversations with the Enemy

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! SO STOP FREAKEN BUGGING ME ABOUT IT! Ah, glad I got that out of my system.

A/N- As for what you said **Lily8** about Max saying Bella was overly dependent on Edward, I have to disagree because if you remember Max states many times in the books and my story how much she depends on Fang in every way possible. So since she has a similar yet slightly more realistic dependency on Fang, I believe she would understand how Bella feels. Though if she didn't then I think she would say something like that.

Also, I just wanted Max to not be completely against them like the wolves are, so sorry if I didn't do that good. She will still be wary of vampires though.

Also, I'm going to do a little part by special request of **Isis** (since you've asked me like 2 or 3 times).

FPOV:

After my little 'check-up' Carlisle took me downstairs. What I saw shocked me.

Bella was sitting at the table eating some cereal for breakfast while Edward sat beside her and Esme cleaned up the dishes that I ate off last night. The others were nowhere in sight.

You know why this was a shock to me? They were acting as if nothing happened! Like a complete stranger didn't just break into their home, use their things, and then threaten there son with disembodiment of a limb if he spoke my name as some sort of joke, when he woke up. It was freaky. How could they act as if everything was just a normal as can be? It made me more suspicious.

What was their game? I knew that they wanted to know what I was just as much as I wanted to know what they were but there was no need for all the pushy hospitality. Just tie me up to a chair and torture me til you get your answers, I can deal with that a lot better than this.

"You hungry?" Esme asked, obviously trying to reel me in with conversation again. Sadly, she doesn't know that I am the master at not interacting in conversations. I nodded and she brought me a brand new box of Captain Crunch along with a gallon of milk, a bowl, and a spoon.

Not wasting anytime I dumped all the cereal that I could fit into the bowl and doused it with milk. Because I had no table manners, I finished eating within thirty seconds flat. I repeated the cycle about four times until all the cereal was gone, along with the milk.

I looked up, wiping my mouth, and realized that everybody was no in the room and was staring at me while I had been eating. I dropped the spoon.

"They say it's rude to stare." I mumbled, feeling my claustrophobia come back at the weight of the stares. Jasper was the first to look away.

"I'm going outside," I told them, standing up and walking through the front door, closing it shut behind me in hopes nobody would follow.

I didn't exactly work.

As I sat on the bottom step pondering what kind of mutant combination could create creatures like the Cullen's, I heard the door open and close behind me. I didn't have to turn around to see their face.

"You know Bella, when I said that I was going outside I didn't say that anybody could follow me."

"Well you didn't specifically say that anybody couldn't follow you." she countered, sitting beside me. I frowned at her open face. But at least it will be easy to tell when she's lying to me.

"What do you want?" I asked her, not one to waste words.

"I want to know what's bothering you." She said in the same no nonsense tone I did, only with more compassion. "You have been talking in your sleep a bit and everything you say sounds sad." Well she definitely wasn't lying here.

"Talking in my sleep?" I said on disbelief. I have never, ever talked in my sleep about my problems before. If I did the Flock would of made fun of me for it, or at least Max would have, a long time ago. Then some of them would have been missing a few limbs permanently.

"Yeah; you keep telling this Ang person not to do something, to stop. It's really horrible to hear." She said.

Angel. All night last night, my dreams had been of Angel. She couldn't mean that I was speaking them aloud could she?

The look on her face told me yes.

"Uh- um…well you...see-uh," I didn't know what to say to contradict that so I just shut up. Bella laughed and smiled.

"It's OK, don't be embarrassed. I sleep talk every night and you can't believe the ways that Edward and his family have made fun of me for it." She laughed again but she was blushing.

"My family would have laughed to the ends of the earth if they ever heard me sleep talk so I'm pretty sure this is a first." I managed to say, restating my earlier thought. Bella was nice, not pushy and let me talk on own time. Sweet.

Bella's eyes lit up at the word family. "You have a family?" She asked, excited.

Horrible sadness crashed down at the mention of my family.

"I use to." I said in a voice that should have ended all conversation about the Flock.

"What happened to them? Was Ang someone in your family?" Bella asked. She immediately looked sorry that she had spoken the question aloud. "I'm so sor-"

"Stop, its fine. I don't need your apologies. It wasn't _your_ fault." I blamed one person for the death of my family and his name started with an 'o'. He was lucky he was already dead.

Bella snorted, shocking me.

"Why doesn't anybody ever let me finish an apology? Not once!" She cried out exasperated. I chuckled and I swore I heard another person do the same inside. Huh.

"Well you apologize unnecessarily." I told her.

Again, I swear I heard Edward say 'got that right' from inside. Could they hear our conversation? Another thing to add to my list, extra good hearing.

"Well will you please answer my second question? You don't have to answer the first. I'm just curious." Bella seemed truly considerate for my feelings, and because of this along with the fact that she was the only one I didn't get the creepy vibe from, I told her.

"Yes, Ang was part of my family. Her name was Angel, and she was the youngest at six years old. There were six of us…" I trailed off for a second but even though the pain was still very much there, I didn't cry anymore, because that just wasn't me. "I was the oldest along with two others, the three of us fourteen. The other two were eleven and eight. Not a normal family at all." I cracked the tiniest smile at that and Bella gave an identical one back.

"I wasn't the leader that was M-…_her_ job. She is my best friend, and she was the best one for the job. I am more of the right-hand man, her partner. I always support her in everything she does; I would jump into an erupting volcano with her if she wanted me to. The other guy our age was blind, but it didn't physical hinder him at all; it just hurt him emotionally. He was third in command.

"The other three were the kids. She practically raised Angel, since we got her when she was only two. Angel had an older brother, the second youngest, and he and the blind kid were best buds. Did everything together. The middle one, she was the most talkative girl I ever met. No one could compare to her.

"Both her and Angel looked up to _her_ like a mom, even though she was only fourteen. She always complained that she could be a hard-core fighter and a mother at the same time. I knew it stresses her tremendously, but she does so well it always amazes me. She looks out for all of us."

Bella was silent while she absorbed this. I mentally yelled at myself for the second time today. _Idiot, you gave to much info again! How could be so stupid? They aren't human, for heaven's sake! They could find Max now and end up _eating_ her for all you know! _My inner voice yelled at me. My survival instincts were saying the same thing, just more colorful.

"Why, I don't really know what to say about that Fang. What do you want me to say? Oh, and I noticed you talked about her, your best friend, you used present tense but the others you said in past tense. Why is that?" Her expression was truly confused.

I had to keep mine blank. How had she noticed that? _I _didn't even notice that. So how did she?

It must be why they sent her to talk to me. She noticed things others didn't, things even _the people themselves_ didn't notice. It was slightly scary how much she saw, and she didn't even have superior eyesight of the two of us. Plus she was nice, somebody I think I could get along with while surrounded by all the freaks.

I decided to straight out answer her question.

"Because everybody else other than me and her are dead now." I said, emotionally detaching myself to deal with the pain better. Bella gasped.

But I wasn't done yet. _Stupid_! My inner voice, or in other words common sense, yelled at me.

"They all died yesterday, other than us two. At least I hope she's still alive, she was as injured as I was. We were separated afterwards, so that's why I came here. To heal and then leave before you came home, so I could find her. I have to find her because I love that girl to death. My dreams are all about that, the promise I made to Angel to find her, run over and over again."

Bella gasped again and looked at me with a horrified and sorrowful gaze. "That's horrible!" I expected her to say something along those lines, anybody would. Stupid pity. I didn't want any, but with the number of 'Oh my Gods' and 'My goodness, that's an awful story' coming from everybody inside, I knew I would be getting a lot.

"Oh by the way Bella," I said, looking to her. I wanted to change the subject; I was sick of talking about my family.

"I know that your boyfriend's family isn't human. It's quite obvious to the experienced eye. But you already know that, don't you?" I had an inkling that she knew what was going on. She glared at me in disbelief, and I knew that she did. "Then they had better know this. I'm on to them too and I will find them out. And I also know that they are trying to figure me out too." Again that shocked look. "And let me tell you they will never find that out, ever."

I returned my gaze to trees, seeing figures in the strange shapes that the branches and shadows make since the sun can never get through the clouds here in Forks.

_Here is Forks and me and Max are separated but I will find her and we will be happy again._

"You're right you know." Bella's voice shocked me with its cheerfulness and I looked at her. She was smiling softly in a way that kinda reminded me of Max. "We _are _trying to figure you out. But your stumping us all, even me. So it's a stalemate; we both know the other isn't human but neither of us know what the other is." She continued to smile and her brown eyes flashed with their own light in this place that was dark even in the afternoon. "But both of us going to do our best to change that, huh?" She stood up and with a parting friendly smile, went back inside.

Almost instantly the sound of talking came up but was quickly shushed. I stayed there, not caring enough to listen even though I could. I lived in my memories instead, replaying all the fun times I had with the Flock in my mind. Or in Max's terms, hiding inside myself.

But it was natural. My own self defense mechanism when I was in the School. Even when I had Max, I would hide inside myself if I had nowhere else to go.

So that's what I did. I hid inside my own mind, careful to keep my mind block up, as I dreamed away the afternoon with visions of the past.

What a happier time that was.

EPOV:

Well that check-up didn't really help us at all. We don't know about his past, don't know about his physical differences, and don't know what's bothering him at all. All we know is that he heals fast. Doesn't everybody these days?

Bella's stomach rumbled and I knew she was hungry. With a laugh from me and a blush from her the two of us went into the kitchen. I made cereal for her, a very soppy and disgusting human food if you ask me, and sat beside her as she started to eat. Esme went to the sink and started on the dishes from last night.

"I don't now how you eat that," I teased her. Bella blushed again but otherwise ignored me.

Carlisle and Fang came down several moments later, both with frowns on their faces. Carlisle went over to his wife and gave her a kiss before murmuring quietly "I couldn't find anything other than that he heals fast. He's quite good at keeping secrets, I'll tell you."

Esme just smiled.

I turned to Fang, seeing that he had frozen at the bottom of the stairs. Bella turned too and we watched as his emotionless face stared at us. I tried again to pierce his mind but I got nothing. Dang, this is as annoying as when Bella won't tell me something.

But I could tell Bella looked worried. She must have seen something I didn't, again. God I wish I could see the world the way she did. One little glimpse is all I ask.

_Poor boy._ "You hungry?" Esme asked him. This seemed to make him tenser, for his eyes tightened slightly.

Wordlessly but with a curt nod, Fang grabbed cereal, milk, and silverware/dishes to the table. He filled the bowl with food and milk and then began to eat furiously, like he wasn't use to having food.

Bella stopped eating and made a disgusted face as Fang literally swallowed whole mouthfuls in seconds, finishing the whole box of cereal and gallon of milk in about five minutes.

My family had returned to the room by now and they were as disgusted as I was.

_Didn't this kid learn any table manners?_ Jasper thought.

_That is just gross. Thank God Bella doesn't eat like that._ Rosalie thought

_Yuck._ Alice thought. _I really don't want to see that. _

_I wonder if I could more of that nasty human food faster than Fang can._ Emmett thought. I really hoped he didn't try.

_Has he ever eaten before? He looks like he's trying to eat it all up before somebody takes it away from him._ Carlisle thought, trying not to be insulting.

_Poor dear needs a home. _Esme thought, shocking me slightly. She wasn't offering on letting him stay longer than necessary is she?

Fang finished and cleared his mouth, noticing that we were all here. He frowned visibly.

"It's rude to stare he mumbled, and Jasper looked away because of the claustrophobia he felt from Fang. I quickly followed his example.

Fang stood and I could tell he was leaving. "I need to go outside." He moved with silent feet to the front door and left, nearly slamming it as it closed.

We all immediately started to argue.

"Should we follow him?"

"No, leave him be."

"I don't trust him; I say we attack him now!"

"Calm please Rosie; we need to think things through."

"I say we wait."

"I saw we act."

"He's a threat to all of us and has no reason to stay."

"I still don't understand why he's here in the first place."

"Well I can't understand why I can't see him."

As we argued at vampire speed, to fast for anybody else to understand and to quiet for anybody else to hear, Bella rose from her seat. She made her way to the door and left, silencing us with its loud _bang_ when it closed.

We all turned as we listen to their conversation.

"You know Bella, when I said that I was going outside I didn't say that anybody could follow me." Fang told her.

"Well you didn't specifically say that anybody couldn't follow you." Bella countered him. Emmett chuckled mentally_. That's our Bella._

"What do you want?"

"I want to know what's bothering you. You have been talking in your sleep a bit and everything you say sounds sad." Bella was completely serious when she said this, getting straight to the point. Odd, she usually liked to drawl out uncomfortable conversations.

_I've been wondering that too._ Carlisle thought.

"Talking in my sleep?" Fang repeated, sounding like this was something unlike him.

"Yeah; you keep telling this Ang person not to do something, to stop. It's really horrible to hear." Bella said. She sounded soft, soothing when she said this. Supportive; she was trying to make him open up without really making him, letting him start on his own.

"Uh- um…well you...see-uh," Fang sputtered, obviously not sure what to say. I heard Bella laugh at him and a lot of us laughed too, though we made sure it was to quiet for them to hear.

_Looks like your girlfriend has him tongue-tied Eddy. You might have to find a new one soon if your not careful. _Emmett joked. I glared at him, making him mentally laugh more.

"It's OK, don't be embarrassed. I sleep talk every night and you can't believe the ways that Edward and his family have made fun of me for it." Bella laughed again and I could imagine her blushing at her own reminder.

_Nothing but the truth_, Emmett thought amused.

"My family would have laughed to the ends of the earth if they ever heard me sleep talk so I'm pretty sure this is a first." Fang said with humor in his voice, though it was gone by the end and replaced with an emotionless monotone that he's used all day.

We all perked up at the word family.

_He has a family? _

_He has a family!_

Both thoughts were said by all family members. This was the first time he has mentioned his family all afternoon. Maybe we should send Bella on information gathering missions more often.

Plus this talk of his family weakened his mental shield and I could hear some of his thoughts again.

_Bella was nice, not pushy and let me talk on own time. Sweet. _I smiled at the compliment he was thinking of my Bella. Fang could be a nice kid too.

Jasper could sense Bella's excitement coming from Bella. "You have a family?" She asked.

_Horrible sadness crashed down at the mention of my family._

Jasper could feel this 'horrible sadness' immediately for he fell to his knees, crying softly. Alice comforted him immediately and I backed out of his thoughts to avoid being overcome too. I still felt like crying though.

"I use to." Fang said. In his thoughts he hoped that would end all conversation of his family. I could tell Jasper was hoping this too.

Carlisle and Esme were worried though.

_What does me mean he use to?_

_I dear, I hoped nothing happened to his family. That would be awful._

"What happened to them? Was Ang someone in your family?" Bella asked unthinkingly. She, from my guess, blurted them out on an impulse. But she was thinking along the same lines as Carlisle and Esme. "I'm so sor-" she started, obviously seeing pain in his expression.

"Stop, its fine." Fang said, and his voice sounded like normal; not pain or hurt stricken at all. Jasper managed to calm down and stop crying, though sadness was still obvious on his face.

"I don't need your apologies. It wasn't _your_ fault." Fang continued. He made it very obvious that he blamed someone. I poked into his now open thoughts.

_I blamed one person for the death of my family and his name started with an 'o'. He was lucky he was already dead._

I was shocked by that. So his family was murdered? But the one who murdered them is dead, according to Fang. That must mean that the killer went down in the process. Yet Fang didn't kill him. How did he die then?

There were no pictures in Fang's mind; he seemed to be blocking them subconsciously. I ran a mental list of all the vampires whose names started with and 'o'. I have to tell you, the list was made up zero names.

Bella snorted, knocking me out of my thoughts and making me jump in shock.

_Kind of inconsiderate of you there Bella_, Rose thought. I wanted to growl at her but it was true.

"Why doesn't anybody ever let me finish an apology? Not once!" Bella said irritated. Fang chuckled and I did too. That was so Bella, complaining because she couldn't apologize.

"Well you apologize unnecessarily."

"Got that right," I muttered unable to stop myself.

_Could they hear our conversation? Another thing to add to my list, extra good hearing. _Fang thought. I nearly groaned; he was trying to figure us out too.

"Well will you please answer my second question? You don't have to answer the first. I'm just curious." Bella asked him. He seemed to consider this for a moment, and all of us held our breath as we waited.

_Bella seemed truly considerate for my feelings, and because of this along with the fact that she was the only one I didn't get the creepy vibe from_, _I told her_.

Well that was nice, he got a creepy vibe from us. That just makes my day. (You hear the sarcasm, huh?)

Fang took a deep breath to steady him self.

"Yes, Ang was part of my family. Her name was Angel, and she was the youngest at six years old. There were six of us…" Fang trailed off for a moment and Jasper looked like we was about to cry again. Everybody gave him worried looks then turned to where Fang was outside, know this was what he's feeling.

_That's a big family, six. I wonder if they were all like him; impossible for me to see and definitely not human._ Alice's thoughts were compassionate yet still serious.

"I was the oldest along with two others, the three of us fourteen. The other two were eleven and eight. Not a normal family at all." Fang continued.

_He was one of the oldest? That meant that there were no parents…I wonder if they were all orphans or something._ Rosalie's thought's were shocked at first but melted into compassion and sympathy for this young boy.

Esme's thoughts were similar. _Poor Fang, he must have been forced to grow up so fast with all these kids around him and no parents_.

"I wasn't the leader that was M-…_her_ job. She is my best friend, and she was the best one for the job. I am more of the right-hand man, her partner. I always support her in everything she does; I would jump into an erupting volcano with her if she wanted me to. The other guy our age was blind, but it didn't physical hinder him at all; it just hurt him emotionally. He was third in command."

Shocked silence came from all of us.

I wondered who this leader girl was. She and Fang were obviously very close, or he wouldn't talk about her like that. His dedication rather reminded me of the way we think about our mates; we would do anything for them no matter what it was, just for them. I know if Bella wanted me to jump into a volcano with her I would do it, though I would try to deter her from doing it first.

_Oh that unfortunate kid, being blind must have been so hard on him. I wonder what Fang meant by it didn't hurt him physically, only emotionally. I think not being able to see anything would mess with how you lived your life. _Carlisle thought. I was wondering about that too; the blind thing.

"The other three were the kids. She practically raised Angel, since we got her when she was only two. Angel had an older brother, the second youngest, and he and the blind kid were best buds. Did everything together. The middle one, she was the most talkative girl I ever met. No one could compare to her."

"I don't think he has truly grasped the speed that one annoying little pixie can talk at." Emmett said at vampire speed so Fang wouldn't hear him. He was just trying to lighten the mood.

"Both her and Angel looked up to _her_ like a mom, even though she was only fourteen. She always complained that she could be a hard-core fighter and a mother at the same time. I knew it stresses her tremendously, but she does so well it always amazes me. She looks out for all of us."

"Why would she need to be a hard-core fighter and a mother?" Rosalie whispered.

"I have no clue; he seems to be blocking any images from his mind subconsciously so I can't see any memories. But they must have been fighting someone. He did say his family was murdered." I whispered back.

"Let's listen to the rest of their conversation." Carlisle suggested.

Fang didn't say anything for a while, and neither did Bella. Fang's mental wall came up again and I couldn't help but be angry; this back and forth thing wasn't very good at helping me get a clear picture of this kid.

"Why, I don't really know what to say about that Fang. What do you want me to say? Oh, and I noticed you talked about her, your best friend, you used present tense but the others you said in past tense. Why is that?" Bella finally said. This shocked us.

A single thought was all I got from Fang before they were blocked again_. How had she noticed that? _I_ didn't even notice that. So how did she?_

Fang, I'm right there with you on that. _How_ does she notice these things?

"Because everybody else other than me and her are dead now." Fang flat out said.

Bella gasped. We all gasped, to be honest. Everybody he knew, everybody who was important him, gone.

"They all died yesterday, other than us two. At least I hope she's still alive, she was as injured as I was. We were separated afterwards, so that's why I came here. To heal and then leave before you came home, so I could find her. I have to find her because I love that girl to death. My dreams are all about that, the promise I made to Angel to find her, run over and over again."

Bella gasped again. "That's horrible!"

"Oh my God!" Esme said starting to vampire sob again. _How anyone could be forced to live through that. Everybody he loves is either dead or missing! And the only one left is the girl he loves… so horrible._

"Such a horrible story…" Carlisle muttered. _No wonder he was having nightmares. I would too if I could still sleep._

_I could never live through that. Losing everybody… _Rosalie thought.

_I feel bad for insulting his name. You have to be tough to live through that and still have your sanity_. Emmett thought.

_If I lost everybody and then couldn't find Alice…I understand why he feels so strongly._ Jasper thought sympathetically.

_To lose the only family you ever had…and they were all children! Half of them haven't even pass eleven years old! So awful. _Alice thought, shocked and depressed.

I didn't know what Bella was thinking, but I knew that if everybody in my family died and Bella was all that was left but I couldn't find her, I wouldn't stop searching for anything. I was surprised he's stayed this long and it's only the middle of the afternoon!

"Oh by the way Bella," Fang said, getting her attention again. I was surprised that he was able to talk again so soon. I don't think any of us would.

"I know that your boyfriend's family isn't human. It's quite obvious to the experienced eye. But you already know that, don't you? Then they had better know this. I'm on to them too and I will find them out. And I also know that they are trying to figure me out too. And let me tell you they will never find that out, ever."

We were all shocked, once again. When will the surprises stop? First we find out that his family is dead, and then we find out that he's on to us and knows we are on to him? From Esme's thoughts, she would have fainted by now if she was still human, she was so shocked with how today had turned out.

"You're right you know." Bella said in such a cheerful and happy voice that I felt the need to go out there and see what was wrong with her. Why was she _happy_?

"We _are _trying to figure you out. But your stumping us all, even me. So it's a stalemate; we both know the other isn't human but neither of us know what the other is. But both of us going to do our best to change that, huh?" I heard Bella as she stood and, from what Jasper was getting from her, radiating joy, came back inside.

She came in with a smile that confused me. She looked like she wanted to pat herself on the back.

Again we were unable to control ourselves and attacked her with questions.

"How do you do that?"

"Why the hell are you so happy?"

"You have to teach me how to get emo kids to spill their guts like that!"

"How could you be so nice to him? He's not human!"

"EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!" Carlisle commanded, quieting everybody immediately. We all turned to him, giving him our full attention.

Carlisle took a deep breath. "We all need to focus here. I believe we need to go see if we can find this girl. According to Fang, she may be injured and that cannot be good for her. Emmett, Esme, and Bella, you will all stay here at home. Jasper, Edward, Alice, Rosalie, you will all come with me to search."

Emmett, of course, pouted. "Why can't I go?"

"Because if Fang tries to leave you can stop him you knucklehead." Rose whispered back.

Bella yawned. "I need to go back to Charlie anyway and tell him that I lived to see the sunlight." Bella frowned and looked out the window. It was obvious with the darkening clouds overhead and the sound of the wind picking up that it wasn't going to be a sunny day. "Er, more like the clouds."

"I'll take you!" Esme said, obviously worrying about the storm coming.

"Let's go." Carlisle said and with that, the five of us took off.

We left through the back door to avoid Fang and quickly took off. The wind started to pick up and we could smell everything for miles out ahead of us.

"Man, the wind is really picking up." Jasper said over the blowing sound.

"I know; that girl can't be in a good spot." I called back.

We ran for a good while before a familiar smell assaulted our noses. I caught it first since I was in front, nearly choking on it.

"Do you smell that?"

"Yeah; smells like Fang only a million times worse." Alice said.

"We better check it out then, it could be the site Fang's family was killed." Carlisle said.

We took off through the thick greenery as the wind picked up and drops of rain started to fall, pelting us. This couldn't be good; we needed to hurry if we wanted to get there before the storm started to really get turning.

We finally arrived at the sight, busting into a large black meadow.

"My God…" Carlisle trailed off, unable to say anything else. None of us were able to speak as we stared at the sight before us.

Cliffhanger! What do you think they will find in the explosion site that Fang missed?

Sorry this update took longer but school is starting so I can't be on the computer as much. Plus, my birthday is TOMORROW! How cool is that. But I won't update tomorrow I can tell you that.

Preview Time!

_A flash of light knocked me out of my dreaming. What was that?_

_I looked up and realized that it was storming, the rain pelting my already-soaked clothes. How had I not noticed it was freaking storming? I guess I really did get lost inside myself._

_I stood and went inside, but it was difficult. The second I stood up my wings started to ache beyond belief. They burned and ached like never before, making me weak at the knees; I gripped the railings to keep up._

Dang, that hurts!_ I thought as I made my way inside. _Guess that means no flying for a long while.

_I sighed at that thought. When was I going to get away from here?_

There's your preview. It's more important than you think it is.

Now for Songs:

_Runaway by Pink_

_Funhouse by Pink_

_Mr. President by Pink_

_Brick by Boring Brick by Paramore_

_Split Personality by Pink_


	6. Heaven's Funeral

Disclaimer: No! I absolutely REFUSE! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!

A/N-I'm so lucky that I have so many who read my story. It makes me feel so loved! Aw, . Keep it up please! By the way, I'm officially 14! Is that not awesome? I got a bunch of CD's for some of my favorite bands like Paramore, Lady Gaga (who I admit is a total freak), and Train. I love them! Music is my life (besides Fanfiction).

Now, to the good part. I plan on focusing in this story for a good while because 1. The plot is screaming at me to be put on paper and 2. I love this story and other Maximum/Twilight stories. I am trying to work on my Maximum Ride and Sonny with a Chance stories but they will be coming along slower. Sorry.

"_My God…" Carlisle trailed off, unable to say anything else. None of us were able to speak as we stared at the sight before us__._

EPOV:

It was horrible. That was the only word for it. Horrible, awful, disturbing, horrifying…they all worked in my opinion.

Before me was a bare piece of land that reminded me of war veteran's memories of WWII bomb fields. Everything was charred beyond belief and the air, though it was being whipped around us at increasing speeds, was filled with the scent of burned flesh. It was a million times worse than Fang who was starting to smell more human as the death smell dissipated.

Another surprising scent was there too, mixed in very discretely with dead flesh and, now, rain.

"Vampire?" I spat, confused beyond belief. How had the scent of burnt vampire gotten here? It didn't make sense; from what I could tell, Fang didn't know about vampires. So how had this happened?

_E-edward._ Carlisle thought, seeming unable to speak words.

I looked through his eyes to see what they were focused on.

Bones.

On the other side of the field were two separate piles of bones, blackened. Alice and Rose both let out a screech as their own eyes fells on the piles and Jasper immediately tried to comfort them. But that was impossible, even with his gift. Nothing could calm any of us down or stop the horror from processing in our minds.

I thanked whatever luck we had that Esme wasn't seeing this.

I shakily made my way over to the first two piles.

They were both only halfway intact, thanks to nature. The smaller one appeared to have been crouching down when it died, probably instantly considering it's condition. Tiny chunks of flesh remained stuck to the bone, black as the night.

I forced myself to pick up the skull of the smaller one.

_He was young._ Carlisle thought. All of them had surrounding me as I held the skull in my hand. _Very young; not yet having hit puberty. Less than ten but older than seven I would say. What a shame that he died before he could live._

He examined the bones, his slightly shaking hands sorting through the bones, identifying them mentally. Til he hit a rough spot.

_What is this? I don't recognize this bone at all. No normal human body has this many extra bones. Some of them are dust, sure, but these big ones,_ he held up a bone the size of a humorous, _shouldn't be here. They aren't shaped right to belong to the human body. What are they?_

Carlisle puzzled over the bones, trying to line them up with any memory he could of different bone types and shapes from medical books and diagrams. He came up with very little.

He tossed it up in the air before catching it. _It's very light compared to a human; too light._

As he examined this mystery Jasper and the girls had looked over at the next pile of bones right beside it, the larger one.

_What happened here? I should have seen it, so close to our house. Plus, vampires were involved. HOW DID I NOT SEE IT? _Alice internally complained, hating that her sight was becoming more useless (in her opinion) as time went on. She was right though; she should have seen _this_ of all things.

_Just a child. A young child, Fang's age probably. A child._ Rose was weeping over the dead children in front of her. Rose was very maternal and hating to see these young humans dead with nothing she could do. And in such a tragic way too.

_Whatever did this was some kind of explosion. It's the only way that this whole huge area could be fried this way. The center seems to be focused in the center of the field; not on the kids. So they clearly weren't the intended targets; simply sacrifices in a greater battle. Maybe the bomb was focused on the vampire?_ Jasper was in war mode, processing the battle field in the way only an experienced war veteran can. It was impressive.

He also made sense.

"I think you're right Jazz. I think whatever bomb was dropped here was focused on that vampire we smelled; not the kids. So whoever here probably decided to sacrifice them. Either that or they didn't know they were there. But I have a pretty good hunch that these kids are involved in more than one way with the dead vampire smell in this field." I told them.

Everyone mused over my words until Alice came to the most shocking conclusion.

"You think they're Fang's family?"

FPOV:

"_Lay off the freaking horn!" Max yelled at Nudge who was pressing it nonstop. I would of slapped her hand away myself but I was driving. This basically means that if my hands leave the steering wheel for one minute I get five angry and anxious birdkids screaming at me to keep my hands at ten and two before I crash us into a tree. A dog too._

_And I could do without the headache thank you very much._

_But Nudge blaring that horn nonstop on our love machine that I ended up stuck driving is really not helping the 'no headache' plan._

"_Sorry. It's just so much fun-it sounds like a party." Nudge seemed to think that this made it acceptable in some form or another. _

_Gazzy continued to sing in the back seat to a song whose name I didn't know but the singer's voice I recognized. I think it had to do with bodily functions._

"___Enough__ with the constipation song," Nudge groaned, as Gazzy launched into the second verse. I had to admit, Gazzy's imitation/sing-a-long was getting on my nerves too._

"_Are we going to stop soon?" Total asked. "I have a sensitive bladder." His words obviously directed to Max, our fearless leader. She made most of the decisions._

_I often felt bad for Max and tried to help her in any way possible. She had four kids, a dog, and a blind guy to take care off. No fourteen year old should have to deal with that._

_I know I couldn't. I'd end up killing one-or all-of them._

_I heard the laptop in Max's lap click and tap, meaning she was looking something up with it. The car brightened slightly._

"_You could have gotten a car with GPS," Total said annoyingly helpful._

_Seems like everything was bugging me these days._

"_Yes. Or we could have brought along a dog that doesn't talk." Max shot back. I knew she was giving Angel a very pointed look about now at the mention of how we acquired Total. She would probably give me one too, for allowing it._

_You couldn't blame me; Angel gave me puppy dog eyes. I'm a sucker for those, and Max too!_

_Total huffed, obviously offended, and I heard him clamber into a new seat. Probably closer to Angel and farther away from Max._

Bump!

_Barely an hour ago I remember crossing over the Louisiana state line and into the state. Ever since then I've hit about fifty potholes; trust me, I've been counting._

_At first they blamed me for driving badly and Iggy began to beg Max to drive, but after twenty or so jolting bumps they finally realized to blame the road and not the driver._

_Iggy continued to ask for the wheel, but after Max pointed out that he couldn't see _anything _and Nudge complained that she didn't want to die in an 80's love van, he finally gave up._

Bump!

_I hate portholes._

"_Louisiana, the state that road maintenance forgot," I heard Max muttered behind me causing me to half smile. Max's sarcastic humor was always hilarious and made my day._

_It was one of the things I loved about her._

A flash of light knocked me out of my dreaming. What was that?

I looked up and realized that it was storming, the rain pelting my already-soaked clothes. How had I not noticed it was freaking storming? I guess I really did get lost inside myself.

I stood and went inside, but it was difficult. The second I stood up my wings started to ache beyond belief. They burned and ached like never before, making me weak at the knees; I gripped the railings to keep up.

_Dang, that hurts!_ I thought as I made my way inside. _Guess that means no flying for a long while._

I sighed at that thought. When was I going to get away from here?

The answer rested in the hands of the Cullen's. They always seemed to have something up their sleeve to force me to stay. Food, rest, medical attention…all excuses that I knew were focused on keeping me here.

It was unacceptable to allow them to keep me here, but I just couldn't leave. I needed to-needed to very bad-but I couldn't get myself to leave. I didn't understand it and I don't think they would either, but I just excepted it.

Still, Max was my number one priority.

I trudged into the house feeling awful. I needed some sleep and I needed it now.

"Woooo!" Emmett yelled. He was watching a football game on the giant plasma by himself. I didn't care enough to wonder where the others are. "Go Gators! Yeah, go for the touchdown baby! Yeah!"

Emmett's screaming made a headache explode in my brain, similar to one of Max's brain attacks. I grabbed my skull as I winced.

"Bring it down a notch please, I got a headache. And can you direct me to a room with a bed and some peace so that I can get some sleep? I need some serious rest." I muttered knowing that he'd hear me. They had super hearing like me.

The TV was instantly muted and Emmett turned to me. "Sure thing."

He hopped up from the couch and led me upstairs into a sparsely furnished room. A bed, chair, bookshelf, and dresser were all there was. All of it was painted black, to my extreme liking.

But as a ripple of pain attacked my backside that really didn't matter.

"Night clothes?" I asked, barely able to make the words stable. I accomplished it though. I winced again at the pain.

"Already there; we always have an extra bedroom or two ready in the case of company or when Bella sleeps over." He told me.

I wasn't in the mood for talking and quickly thanked him before shutting the door closed. I shut the black blinds too before ripping my sweatshirt and shirt off, extending my burning wings.

"Ahhhhh." I whispered as the feeling of release spread through my back. I was happy to have my wings free from clothing restrictions, something that any avian American would agree with.

I looked for a mirror so that I could see what's wrong my wings, but there was none. I could go into the small bathroom and look into that mirror, but I would have to fold my wings in and I just let them out so I didn't want to do that.

I could just look at them but I can't see the back of them, were all the damage is. So I was stuck not knowing.

I decided that a short shower might help. It felt good and eased the pain slightly, but it didn't completely go away.

Oh well, there was nothing else I could do. I couldn't exactly ask for some pain medication for my wings; that might give me away.

So I would just have to deal with it.

I could deal with that. I had lived with pain before and in much less forgiving conditions. So this was nothing.

The headache might be another thing though.

I battled my brain in an effort to keep from passing out as I slipped on a pair of silk pajamas. Rich kids, like I said.

They were comfy though, and cushioned my wings nicely; you know, once I cut holes in them.

I laid down in the huge queen bed and closed my eyes, forgetting my headache immediately. It was just so soft. The best bed I've ever slept on, hands down. I barely remembered to out the covers over me to hide my wings as an intense drowsiness came over me.

EPOV:

I never thought of that.

Could they really be Fang's family that he talked about?

I looked over the piles of bones. One was slightly larger than what I could imagine Fang's bones looked like, if not the same. So this could be the blind boy. And the smaller one; it could be one of the two siblings, couldn't it? I mentally compared the average size of each and decided that these were larger than the normal for each age. Maybe they all have had growth spurts.

Alice had risen from where we all were and began to walk away, further from the epicenter of the explosion.

_I bet my whole closet this is Fang's family, so there has to be two more around here somewhere._

"That's a pretty risky bet coming from you Alice. You must be confident." I said.

"I am; there is no way they aren't connected. I can't see either of them. And trust me, I would have seen this if some creature that I was blind to wasn't involved."

"And the creatures you're blind to?"

"Fang's family genius. I bet that's why they have no parents. Who would want a freak for a child?" I could tell she was talking from experience, from her family. About how they put her in an asylum when she was human. I could tell it hurt her to know that parents these days did that.

"So they left their kids on the streets. Fang even said that they 'got' Angel when she was two. It makes good sense. They got her because her parents gave her up. They must all have the same deformity. Huh. I've always been able to see humans, even ones with deformities. I wonder what it is about theirs' that makes it to where I can't see them?" Alice continued on, rambling til I could no longer hear her with my ears but with my mind.

"So where are you going?" Jasper asked.

"I think some of them tried to run. Wouldn't you? So they would be back here, away from the immediate explosion." She pranced off into the woods til I could no longer see her with my eyes.

We all turned back to piles of bones, hesitant on leaving them. As if, when they were out of sight they would disappear.

Alice let out a bloodcurdling scream from the woods.

Jasper was gone in an instant, and I zeroed into Alice's mind. At least I could read _her_ thoughts.

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it. It's too terrible, don't think about it._ Alice chanted this over and over in her head, unintentionally blocking me. Her eyes were closed too, blocking any vision. I frowned.

The rest of us followed Alice and Jasper, worried.

We stopped in our tracks. Rose screamed like Alice. Carlisle's eyes widened in horror at the gruesome corpse. I wanted to look away but found that I couldn't.

This body was more disturbing than the bones. Maybe because she was a nasty-smelling human-looking corpse instead of just a pile of bones. Maybe because of the fact that she was killed fire like the others but died from getting javelined into a tree like in horror/gore movies. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the expression on her face that Alice saw, which was dominating her mind. Mine too.

She was easier to identify as a child that was for sure. Well, she would have been, if the animals hadn't have gotten to her. Her body, roasted so bad on her backside that I had fallen apart so that I could see inside her chest and to her ribs, was beyond gruesome. Her legs were in shreds; not from the fire but from where forest animals had come and chewed on her corpse. Every place where flesh wasn't burned beyond recognition, and a few where it was, was nearly bare from hungry teeth biting into them. Tooth marks were imprinted into the bones, telling the story.

Even her face, pounded by rain in the now brutal rainstorm, was nearly cleaned of human flesh.

"S-she looks eleven t-to me." Jasper whispered. Three down, one to go.

We moved on after a silent moment of dedication to the girl who met such an dreadful end. I'm sure she didn't want to go down like this.

As we searched for the other child, possibly the youngest, I remembered Fang's dreams from last night.

Was it really just last night? So much seemed to have changed since then.

But in his dreams, Angel was only halfway burned. The other half was blurry, but unharmed. So he must have seen her, seen this, and located them all. I told the others this and we continued to search for the girl.

It was hard. We couldn't use our noses, they were blocked by rain and the fact that _everything _smell like a barbeque. We couldn't use our ears because dead people's hearts don't beat. I couldn't use my mindreading because dead people don't think.

So we looked, but it was difficult. The wind and rain were minor barriers, but the thick woods, even roasted, was quick to grow back. And thick beyond belief, I forgot to mention.

I managed to find a small clearing where the fire hadn't touched. But what I found touched me.

She was beautiful. There was no other word for her. Six years old, I was sure. She was to small and innocent looking to be any older.

She was exactly like how Fang dreamed. Half her face, and body for that matter, was covered in horrible burns coating her in black and red. The other half was perfect, the face of an angel.

She was leaned against a tree that was covered in moss, her blonde hair resting on her shoulders. Her face was peaceful, the complete opposite of the other girl; like she had died knowing she had done something right. In her hair, the parts that weren't burned were some wildflowers that were found all over the forest. Her hands were cupped against her stomach, resting. They were full of wildflowers too. Her feet and legs were straight in front of her, her shoes missing. I could see the light pink nail polish on her right foot.

"Her name was perfect for her; Angel."

"It must have killed him to see her like this. Especially if she was still alive like in the dreams. The others too."

"I know; who could see all of that, their family like that, and still think straight?"

"I feel like I'm stuck in a horror movie right now. We have gory deaths, scared survivors, and mythical monsters. Hollywood wood die for a movie of the last few days."

"I think he did this; putting the flowers in her hair and in her hands. It was some sort of funeral for her; for them all." I told them all. Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, and Rose had shown up behind me and seen the girl who I presumed to be Angel.

"You think we should mess with her since he took the time to fix her up like this?" Rose asked. There was no emotion in her voice; she was still numb from seeing all the dead children. Maybe that's what Fang was when he talked in that emotionless monotone. Numb.

"I don't think they'll mind." Carlisle said. "We'll just fix her back the way she was before we came." His voice was caring and soft as he kneeled before the child, his eyes locked on her face.

The rain continued to come down, soaking us to the bone. But we didn't feel it, and it was starting to let up slightly, more of a light rain now. The sky was still darkest night from the thick storm clouds.

Heaven wasn't happy.

"What do you plan on doing?" Jasper asked.

"I wondered why Fang wouldn't let me see his back. And if Alice is right and they all have the same thing about them that defines them as inhuman, then it might be on their back. So I'm going to look at hers." Carlisle explained as her gently removed the flowers from her hands, handing them to me. I held them with the utmost care.

"I'm sorry Angel. This will only take a second," He promised the dead girl.

Carlisle gently leaned her forward off the tree trunk. She wore no jacket.

We all gasped as pure white feathers came into view. Shocked and curious, Carlisle leaned the girl forward til her face rested against her knees.

She had wings.

They were the whitest white I'd ever seen, perfectly matching the common man's portraits of the heavenly beings. They were folded perfectly against her spine. The left one was a crinkled black but the right one was intact like how it looked when she was alive. Perfectly heavenly, the feathers were.

"She's a real angel." I murmured.

"I guess her name fit in more than one way." Carlisle agreed with his eyes wide.

We all stared for the longest time and the rain started gaining strength and courage again, getting harder. I watched the raindrops land on her wings, but they didn't penetrate past the feathers. They were waterproof, from my guess.

I began to realize that this must be what Fang was too. An angel with wings. This is what he was hiding from us; his own set of wings.

"Have you ever seen…?" Jasper whispered to Carlisle.

"Never. Not in 300 years, not once." He responded.

Carlisle and I put everything back the way it was before we came. I felt privileged to have held the flowers at the funeral of an angel.

_Crash!_

The storm was really starting to brew as he headed back, silent in the shock of this new information. I wondered ideally if this thunderstorm was Angel and her family's wrath at our discovery of their graves. They all had wings, didn't they? I'm sure they still had them in heaven.

But how did they get them? Were they born with them naturally as a mutation, or were they born with them on purpose?

It was obvious to Alice now why she couldn't see them now. They were angels, creatures that we, as vampires, could never be.

I never thought angels could die.

FPOV:

_Cages. I was trapped in a cage and surrounded by more. It kept getting smaller and smaller til the bars started to dig into my flesh, causing me pain._

_Needles. Thousands poked my wings in an endless torrent. Stabbing me with no care in the world as pain erupted beneath the skin._

_Fire. It burned my veins, originating from my stabbing marks. I don't know what caused it but it was there, spreading throughout my body. I smelled the ash and dying flesh._

_Eruption. My brain felt like exploding from the force of my brain attacking my skull. I think it was feeling claustrophobic inside the many layers of bone, flesh, and skin that surrounding it. It must have been taking a jackhammer to its cage._

_Pain. Everything hurt, but it was weak pain. It was only strong on my black wings, my prized physical processions. I would rather lose an arm than a wing. But right now they hurt so much that I silently wished that someone would cut them off. Mercy please._

_I screamed._

It's over. No, not the story but this chapter. And summer too; I'm starting school this Wednesday. Too bad, with summer over I'll have less time to write on Fanfiction. Plus, I still read them too. Ah! So much to do and so little time. Plus, I _do_ have a family who is convinced I live in a cave that I like to call my room. I guess I should get out more.

Want a preview? Here it is!

Preview

Stupid storm, _I thought as I got up off the floor, rubbing the back of my head._

_I had slept all day and now it was the middle of the night and storming like hell outside. I wonder if the dogs were still outside. And Fang._

_I immediately became alert at this thought. Was Fang still outside, and in this storm of all things?_

_No, Fang would be smart enough to find shelter. He was is tough too, I'm sure he's doing fine._

_I winced as I examined my wings, standing. They were OK but still mending. I still needed some more time before I could fly again._

_A clicking sound came from the kitchen and my head snapped up to the door. I heard gruff male voices on the other side._

"_Come on, we need in." One said._

"_I know; it's pouring out here. I'll break it down if I have too." A second said._

_Oh my (insert curse word of your choice here) God._

_Robbers._

Cliffy! Now for songs…huh, what have I been listening to? My new Paramore CD!

_Careful by Paramore_

_Ignorance by Paramore_

_Playing God by Paramore_

_Brick by Boring Brick by Paramore_

_Turn It Off by Paramore_

_The Only Exception by Paramore_

_Feeling Sorry by Paramore_

_Looking Up by Paramore_

_Where the Lines Overlap by Paramore_

_Misguided Ghosts by Paramore_

_All I Wanted by Paramore_

That's all that on my CD, in order. Cool huh? Listen to the songs on YouTube or even better; get the CD called _Brand New Eyes_. It's got a butterfly on it!

~Sweevil Out!


	7. Any Kind of Trouble

Disclaimer: IDOA (I Don't Own Anything; it's my new abbreviation that I think I'll use as a disclaimer. Cool, huh?)

A/N- **Abbey-Jade-Love**, it's nice to know I have a twin. I've always wanted one of those! I love your avatar too! I wonder if anybody notices I got mine up finally. It's suppose to be Max and Fang. *sighs dreamily* I love happy endings… Sorry, I've snapped out of it now, I swear. I just had sugar today and then my mom tried to get me to help with her work and well…sugar + boredom = crazy Sweevil. So I'm a little loopy (I think someone put something in the bottle that I got my Tylenol from. I may need to alert someone.)

Also, I wanted to tell you guys a funny story. On last Monday me and my parents went to get me registered for my new high school here in North Carolina. Well, we spent an hour waiting to talk to a counselor and ended up having to go to the school I was leaving to tell them to release my records. Guess how long we had to wait? 3 minutes, at the most. Ironic, huh? I know, my sisters laughed for the whole car ride home.

Also, I'm so addicted to my Paramore CD that my family is starting to hear it where ever they go. Meaning that I'm carrying a laptop or boom box (man those are old; who has them anymore?) with the CD in it around with me, listening to the songs. My mother fell in love with _Misguided Ghosts_ though, so I'm good as long as I play that often.

Now, the main attraction; THE STORY! *readers stand up and applaud my fantastic story while I act awkward and embarrassed at the attention* Sigh.

LPOV:

We didn't find anything in those woods.

That is, unless you count the albino squirrel that Seth found (OMG! I saw an albino squirrel at Carowinds! They rock).

And I don't think Fang is albino with a fluffy tail.

I had gone and joined the hunting party after watching Max sleep for about 30 minutes. I didn't want to seem stalker-ish or something. Sam had chewed me out but didn't command me to leave so I help them try to track down Fang.

We ran into no such luck. Not a trace of the emo birdkid was to be found.

I felt depressed as I returned to Emily's house. We all were. Everybody had been all keyed up at the idea of helping Max find her lost love. But now it's raining buckets outside and we haven't got a thing to show for all our hard work. I feel like I'm going to disappoint her.

_Don't worry Leah; I don't think she thought it would be that easy anyway. We all should have known that there would be more to this than that. _

Seth tried to comfort me but my dear brother should have learned by now that when a woman wants to be in a bad mood, SHE WILL BE IN A BAD MOOD!

_God Leah, calm down_. Paul criticized.

_Like you can talk Mr. I-need-counseling-on-a-daily-basis._ I shot back.

Sam just sighed. Everybody else started to make bets. I was winning on the stands.

_Hah! _I gloated.

_Shut up_, he growled.

_That sounds like a good idea to me. Both of you shut up. _Jacob said.

We headed to the house when I heard the sound of a scream echoing into the woods.

_That can't be good!_ Jared thought.

_Let's go!_ Sam ordered and we all took off running at full speed.

MPOV:

_I was rustling around for food in the kitchen when I heard sleepy shuffling behind me._

"_Mornin', Max_

_"Morning, Gazzy," I said as the heavy-lidded eight-year old slumped at the table. I rubbed his back and dropped a kiss on his head. He'd been the Gasman ever since he was a baby. What can I say? The child has something funky with his digestive system. A word to the wise: Stay upwind._

_The Gasman blinked up at me, his gorgeous blue eyes round and trusting. "What's for breakfast?" he asked, sitting up. His fine blond hair stuck up all over his head, reminding me of a fledgling's downy feathers._

_"Um, it's a surprise," I said, since I had no idea._

_"I'll pour juice," the Gasman offered, and my heart swelled. He was a sweet, sweet kid, and so was his little sister. He and six-year-old Angel were the only blood siblings among us, but we were all a family anyway._

_Soon Iggy, tall and pale, slouched into the kitchen. Eyes closed, he fell onto our beat-up couch with perfect aim. The only time he has trouble being blind is when one of us forgets and moves furniture or something._

_"Hey, Ig, rise and shine," I said._

_"Bite me," he mumbled sleepily._

_"Fine," I said. "Miss breakfast."_

_I was looking in the fridge with naive hope-maybe the food fairies had come-when the back of my neck prickled. I straightened quickly and spun around._

_"Will you quit that?" I said._

_Fang always appeared silently like that, out of nowhere, like a dark shadow come to life. He regarded me calmly, dressed and alert, his dark, overlong hair brushed back. He was four months younger than me but already four inches taller._

_"Quit what?" he asked calmly. "Breathing?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "You know what."_

_Crash!_

I leaped from the couch, going about four feet into the air before landing roughly on my stomach. My stomach throbbed from meeting the hard carpet so unexpectedly. I groaned.

_Stupid storm_, I thought as I got up off the floor, rubbing the back of my head.

I had slept all day and now it was the middle of the night and storming like hell outside. I wonder if the dogs were still outside. And Fang.

I immediately became alert at this thought. Was Fang still outside, and in this storm of all things?

No, Fang would be smart enough to find shelter. He is tough too, I'm sure he's doing fine.

I winced as I examined my wings, standing. They were OK but still mending. I still needed some more time before I could fly again.

A clicking sound came from the kitchen and my head snapped up to the door. I heard gruff male voices on the other side.

"Come on, we need in." One said.

"I know; it's pouring out here. I'll break it down if I have too." A second said.

Oh my (insert curse word of your choice here) God.

Robbers.

As they messed with the locks outside I dashed to the coffee table, grabbing my sweatshirt and yanking it over my head. They couldn't see my wings.

Next I shut off the TV and lights, not wanting them to know I was home. I ran to a closet and squished myself inside with all the other random junk, hiding.

"Oh dang; Charlie, help me here?"Number One said.

"I'm trying but I'm and officer not a locksmith." Number Two replied. 'Charlie' he had been called.

"I think they keep a spare key in the potted plant here." Charlie responded.

"Dear God help us. Let me do it; I'll have died of pneumonia by the time you old men got this thing opened." I heard a female voice say, sounding annoyed. She sounded two or three years older than me, a teenager. I frowned; why were they having a girl who was my age braking into Sam and Emily's house for them?

The door made a loud clicking sound as it unlocked and I held my breath. I didn't want to die in some robbery-gone-wrong like some stupid human. No offence to the species or anything, you're just _really_ weak.

The door swung open with a loud _bang!_ and I cringed inside the closet. Or I would have if I had the room to do even that. It was so cramped in here.

"Sam!" The girl called.

"The lights are all off; I wonder why?" Charlie said.

"I don't think they're here." The other man said. Why did he suddenly sound familiar? I listened harder but the sound of rain pouring outside was echoing so loud I couldn't hear them clearly. Damn super hearing; I'm hearing too much!

"Oh well, I'm sure they'll be here soon. But if Sam's not here where is Emily?" The girl asked. Man, she was just _so_ curious.

"I'm sure they'll need an umbrella or towel when they get here. Why don't you go get one out of the closet?" The familiar voice asked.

I froze at their words. They were all meaningless other than the fact that the robbers were going into the closet. Where I was hiding.

I am _sooo_ going to kill them.

I listened, tensing up, as the girl's footsteps started up and came closer and closer to my hiding spot til I heard them stop right in front of the door.

She slowly turned the handle, making it creek loudly, and-

"DIE ROBBER!"I screamed.

The girl screeched at the top of her lungs as I pounced on her.

TotalPOV:

I knew what I was doing was wrong.

But I had to. This is what we did to survive on a daily basis. Or, use to do.

It was only me now.

_Come on Total. You and the Flock broke into houses all the time. You can do this even though you're all alone now. Do it!_

My mental pep talk wasn't really working, but a dog's got to try.

You see, my family was dead. Every single one of them. We did a suicide bombing to our enemy so that our two older members, Max and Fang, could live on and save the world. You know all that jazz, I'm sure you've heard it all the time.

Well, I searched all over that freaking forest for two days and I found nothing.

So they must be dead. There's no other option then for them to be dead.

How I managed to survive the explosion, I don't know. I just got behind the biggest rock I could find and braced myself. Ten seconds later it was over and the only thing that was hurt was my tail and ears, which were both burnt badly.

Why is everyone always hating on the tail? I'll never understand. But all-in-all, I was alive. And that's all that mattered, right?

I leaped upwards again til I was on the branch equivalent to open window of the small two-story house. It was kind of plain, but I had been watching this house all night. Now it was storming out here like there was no tomorrow. I needed to get inside, now.

I had seen the home owner, a man with a gun and a police cruiser, leave half an hour ago with some brunette girl. Probably his daughter or something like that.

It was raining so hard it hurt and I was deciding how I could get inside without disrupting anything. No clues to my existence should remain from my visit.

"Oh what the hell are you doing Total? Just jump already!" I yelled at myself. It was never a good thing to talk to one's self, but who else would I talk to? Besides, I really needed a good kick in the butt right now to whip me into shape, since I didn't have the Flock to do that anymore.

I bunched up my muscles and leaped, landing perfectly into the small room.

I looked around the bedroom. I think it was a girl's room by the types of clothing inside the closet. It wasn't very well decorated in my opinion, but I spied the books and had to admit she had a good taste in literature; they were all classics.

I crept out of the room and down the stairs. I was careful not to make a sound, not wanting to alert the faraway neighbors and too scared to be any louder.

The pantry doors were already left open by the homeowners and I immediately dug into the food. The only thing I've eaten in two days was a rabbit that I caught in the woods.

Never again. Raw meat is nasty. I bless you whoever invented fire and, more importantly, cooking.

The Little Debbie's were first to go, followed by some Saltines crackers and two nice red juicy apples. I was nearly full by then but needed something to drink too.

I walked over to the fridge before having to jump up and open the door with my mouth; it was too high.

I found a premade glass of milk and scrambled into the fridge so that I could drink it.

It was like they knew that I needed them to leave a poured drink for me since I didn't have opposable thumbs. I felt loved.

As I lapped up the milk, I heard a creaking sound. I looked up from the drink, my muzzle covered with milk, just in time to see the refrigerator door shut closed.

_Oh No!_

I desperately tried to open it again by slamming my body against the door but it was no use. I was too small and this thing didn't have handles on the inside.

"This is not good, not good at all. Like the opposite of good. What am I going to do? I'm locked inside a refrigerator for heaven's sake! The one time I'm alone and I get trapped by a kitchen appliance! How did this happen?" I was demanding an answer of myself when I realized that I was talking to myself, again, and that I really needed to stop before went crazy for real.

But what could be crazier than a talking dog trapped inside a fridge of some stranger's house?

I can't wait til the owners get home. Let the insanity begin.

MPOV:

This girl was not a fighter. One punch to the gut and she was on the ground.

I had to admit she wasn't very tough for a burglar. She was skinny, not to mention her skin looked so thin and weak that I could breathe on her and it would break a rib. She needed some muscle.

"Stop, stop, STOP! Who the heck are you?" She screamed at me from the ground as I swung my leg at her, hitting her in the gut again. She started to gasp from how many times I've knocked the breathe out of her. Nothing was broken, yet.

"I'm Maximum Ride and you will NOT steal from this house!" I yelled back. Sam and Emily were good people, if you could call Sam a person, and didn't deserve to be hurt. They helped a hurt and lonely birdkid in need, they deserved a peace prize.

"Bella?" the one named Charlie called. He and the other man ran into the room and saw me beating the girl up, repeatedly kicking her in the gut and sending weak punches towards her head. Her arms blocked the punches but she could do nothing about the kicks.

"Max, stop! That's Bella!" The familiar voice called.

I looked up from the girl and stop my assault on her.

"Billy?"

"Yes," Billy said, sitting in his wheelchair beside Charlie. Wait a second, Charlie? Billy's friend who's daughter dated a vampire? "Now stop before you hurt Bella any further." He commanded.

I looked down at the girl, Bella, who was still braced for more physical abuse but whose lungs were gasping for air.

I instantly felt bad. These weren't robbers but Billy's friends.

"Sorry." I muttered, looking down but away from Bella.

"What the hell happened here? Why were you inside the closet? WHY WERE YOU ATTACKING MY DAUGHTER?" Charlie yelled. I saw the badge and uniform and remembered he was the chief of police. Oh this just got better and better.

"I thought you were some burglars trying to get in from what I heard outside, not Billy's friends. I'm…kinda paranoid. Sorry."

I knew that what I did was wrong and I did regret it because I did not plan on going to jail anytime soon, but I had admit I was impressed with myself. If they really had been robbers breaking into the house, they would have been dead. Plus, I knew I could attack a human and not break any bones while still causing bodily harm. My restraint was nice. Bruises were another matter; they were going to last for days on this girl.

"Robbers? Billy, who is this girl and do I need to make the difficult choice between jail and an insane asylum for her, or would you like to do that?" Charlie asked. Nice joke Chief.

"No worries Charlie, she's alright in the head but a little paranoid. Bad childhood." Billy said and I saw a look or remorse cross Charlie's face. "Max, introduce yourself."

Bella was trying to get up and I offered her a hand but dropped it when she cringed away. Serves me right.

I turned to Charlie and held out my hand.

"Name's Maximum Ride sir, nice to meet you. I'm sorry about the, er, surprise but I didn't know who it was at the door. Sam, Emily, and Billy have told me all about you and Bella." I gave a pointed look at Bella and knew that if she wasn't afraid of me before that she was now.

Charlie shook my hand back. "Maximum, that's a very…interesting name. Where are you from cause you don't look Native American to me." Charlie asked.

That stumped me for a second before I had a light bulb moment.

I gave him a bright smile. "It's just Max Chief, and I'm the daughter of two missionaries, friends of Emily's parents. They came to Port Angelus for some kind of convention and they decided to drop me off here to spend the night. I was in a car crash recently and I needed more recovery time then I was letting myself have with all the traveling. So I'm staying here for a few days. Sorry Sam and Emily didn't tell you. Currently my parents are at the overnight convention. They won't be back til tomorrow afternoon and then they'll need to sleep very long."

There, that was perfect. The old my-parents'-a-missionary trick with a new and believable twist. Plus, an excuse as to why he would ever see them and why I was hurt. I am the master.

Billy gave me an appreciative look behind Charlie's back and Bella gave me a look that said she didn't fully believe my story. Charlie did though.

"Oh, that's interesting. Too bad about the car accident though. You look pretty banged up. Bella and I were coming over to see Billy and Jake for a while. Too bad Jake isn't here and now it's storming outside. Guess we'll just camp out here all night. How's that sound to you Billy?" Charlie asked. I frowned, along with Billy.

"I don't know Charlie, it might be better if you guys go home. Max here isn't very…comfortable with strangers, you could say. Why don't you two go home when the rain lets up?" Billy said, almost hesitant. I was thankful; having to stay up the rest of the night to make sure they didn't see anything…abnormal. I needed some more sleep if I really wanted to heal.

Charlie sighed and Bella looked at me suspiciously, like she was trying to remember something. It made me self-conscious.

"That might be a good idea Billy. But when the rain lets up; nobody needs to be in a crash this late at night." Charlie said. Billy nodded in approval and told Bella to follow him for some ice. I gave her another apologetic look but she just glared at me.

Touchy. All I did was attack her in a blind wave of powerful punches and kicks which, in effect, knocked the breath out of her and will leave a series of bruises on her stomach and arms. Nothing huge let me tell you that. I could have done a lot worse; she just doesn't know how lucky she is.

Then I remembered, as she left the room and sent me another glare, that this was the girl who had the overprotective vampire boyfriend, along with a werewolf best friend with anger-management problems.

I'm _so_ dead.

BillyPOV:

Max stayed in the living room, avoiding Bella and Charlie. Everybody, to be correct.

I got Bella all fixed up when the front door busted open.

Me, Bella, and Charlie turned to see Jacob, Sam, and Leah bust through the door. They faces were just as shocked as ours when they all registered our face staring back.

"What the hell?" Jake spat, beyond confused.

"Jake? What are you doing here? More, importantly, what were you doing out in the rain?" Charlie asked. The three wolves hadn't seemed to processed what was going on here.

"Uh…" Jacob was unable to come up with an answer when Sam replied in a cool voice, "Outside Chief. Sue said that she wanted Leah to come over while she was at work. Emily is at her work helping her since they're short a nurse. Seth was already at Collin or Brady's place. We got a little wet in the process."

Sam was good at making up stories, almost as good as Max. I saw Leah look around worriedly searching. I knew they had been on patrol when they heard something.

"Did somebody scream?" Leah asked, concern coming through. "I thought I heard somebody scream."

Bella blushed, embarrassed, before she became very angry; or annoyed.

"Yeah, that was me. We came inside the house and when I went to the closet your car crash victim, Max, jumped me. That girl can throw a punch, I'm telling you." Bella winced and Jake became very angry. Sam sent him a look and Leah looked relieved. Sam sent her a look too. "Well she got me good and then Billy stopped her before I got something broken. I didn't know Emily had such violent friends." Bella made a face and I knew that she didn't believe Max's story.

"Max hurt you?" Jake said before moving over to her in two long strides. He started to examine her while she repeatedly told her she was fine. That boy had fallen hard and even though I love Bella and hate Edward and would love it if she and Jake were together, I knew my son had no chance. I sighed, already resigned. I couldn't force Bella to do anything.

Leah turned and immediately strode out of the room, not caring about Bella. Sam examined the situation, just standing there, before returning outside without another word. Nobody questioned him, not even Charlie.

I listened as hard as I could to the living room and was able to make out some of the conversation. Max was an angel no matter how much she disagreed. At least, to me she seemed like one.

But now I understood what the boys meant when they said she was master fighter. I didn't really believe that a holy being could beat up a pack of werewolves, even injured.

But watching her attack Bella, obviously trying not to hurt her to hard, she looked like the angel of death. Her face had been completely focused on Bella while still alert enough to notice us. It was amazing.

"What did you th-…-oing?" Leah said.

"…they were rob-…I freaked. Sorry." Max said.

"Y-…careful. You could …-ou know that."

"I will next time. D-…find anything?" Max's voice was now, from what I could hear, was hopeful sounding. Maybe afraid too.

I couldn't hear Leah's response, but I knew it wasn't bad or good.

I think I heard Max sigh sadly and it was confirmed that they didn't find anything.

"…best. Even though I don't say this a lot, thank you."

"Welcome Max. We'll …-ng."

The two girls stopped talking then and I heard a door open and then close loudly. Max's announcement that she was going to bed. She sure slept a lot.

Bella visibly relaxed at this unofficial announcement and I knew she was very afraid of Max.

I yawned and knew that I better get used to it. I needed to stay up til the Swan's left. They just needed twenty-four hour supervision like that. Especially Bella, who always seemed to flush out our secrets. Max would really hurt her if she found out.

Leah turned on the TV in the living room and the rest of us rotated into there. We stayed up all night like that, watching TV. The Swan's left in the morning, and the wolves went off to search again. Max stayed in bed, and I quickly went to sleep myself.

But I had a feeling that, when I sent them home, that there was something I didn't know about that was going to happen. Something no one would expect and that might clue Bella in.

Then again, I was no Alice.

Sigh. Finally, it is done! This chapter wasn't, in a sense, hard to write it was just hard to find time to write it. Band practice is often and I'm way behind so I have to catch up this weekend. I also have homework. It was ridiculous. Some people had a 2-4 page paper given to them on the first day, due the second. And I have that class next semester! So now I'm pretty scared.

Next chapter I'll try to move it along more. Max and Fang's meeting is close, I can feel it. Plus, I'm the one who's controlling the plot so I know EVERYTHING! Mwahahahaha!

But there is more to it than that. Just a little foreshadowing for you. This story won't end when they reunite. It will only begin. Er, continue.

Me: Now do you want a preview?

Readers: Yes!

Me: Do you want it now?

Readers: Yes we do. Now give us the stinking preview!

Me: OK, OK. Sheesh, demanding crowd.

Preview:

"_What do we do?" Rose said._

"_I don't know yet. It has been a long time since he went upstairs…Edward, what is he thinking?" Carlisle asked._

_I zeroed in on Fang's thoughts and instantly my head rippled in pain. Jasper nearly fell to his knees before getting a grip on it._

_Fang's thoughts were shattered, blood-filled images mixed with blurry faces and clear pains. Pains that felt so real to both him and me that there was no way they weren't. It was too solid in his flickering and fanciful dreams of death, destruction, fighting, and fire. The stinging heat, the swelling pressure, the jabbing pangs. They were too real, way too real._

_Something was wrong with him._

"_Fang is sick. He needs help."_

Huh? Huh? HUH? What do you think?

My song haven't changed any, still stuck on Paramore, but one I do remember, which seems like a really silly song personally, is _Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland_. Watch the music video, I find it hilarious.

~Sweevil Out!


	8. Grim Reaper

Disclaimer: IDOA

A/N- How's school going? I know, dumb question, so don't answer. I just obligated to ask if you guys are ready to kill so that summer can come around again and I can be on Fanfiction 24/7 again. Just curious.

Story time Children!

EPOV:

We got back to the house to find Emmett watching football downstairs with the volume down and Esme sitting beside him, worrying about Fang. She had really gotten attached to the kid in a little over twenty-four hours.

"Why do you have the volume down?"

"Well Mr. I-know-everything, I was being considerate to our guest. He's sleeping upstairs." Emmett replied like a snobby child.

"He yelled at you to keep it down, didn't he?" I inquired.

"Yes," Emmett pouted. "I don't know what was wrong with the emo kid, he was grumpy like Bella when she's PMSing. He looked like he was in pain and said he had a headache too. Maybe he _was_ PMSing." Emmett seemed determined to figure this out. I nearly growled at his ADD personality.

"Emmett you knucklehead, listen up. Esme too;" Alice growled the first part but was at her normal hyper voice by the second. She was almost vibrating in her excitement.

"What is it Alice? Did you guys find something?" Esme said. Emmett started to pay attention.

Alice's smile was bright and cocky, knowing it was killing Emmett that we knew something important that he didn't. "We know what Fang is." She stated proudly.

Esme and Emmett gasped and quickly began to demand an answer before Carlisle shushed them. "We have to quiet so he won't hear." He reminded them.

Alice's smile grew as she whispered our discovery.

"He's an angel."

Silence. I swear I heard crickets chirping somewhere with how vampire-like quiet we were. Then again, we are vampires.

Even though it was not news to us, it still was shocking every time it was verbally confirmed. I heard Emmett think that he knew it all along.

"An angel?" Esme whispered. "Like, with halo and wings and all of that? An angel?"

"Yep." Alice was beaming, her mind running over her happiness at this discovery. Her thoughts had turned to all the fashionable clothes she could put on him. This fact seemed to make sense to her as to why he was always in that black sweatshirt. He had to cover his wings.

"Alice," I growled, "this is not the time." She frowned at her own antics and nodded.

"Huh, I never thought of that. I didn't see a halo on him. Well, it was said that biblical people drew halos to define angels from humans. Guess they don't have them." Carlisle mused.

"How did you find out?" Esme asked.

"We found Fang's family. They did die, blown up by some kind of bomb. Those poor creatures, it was a horrible way to die from what we saw. Edward found and recognized Angel, from Fang's dreams. She was only a child, a baby." Carlisle looked like crying again. "We turned her over and found these perfect white wings on her, like a real angel's. And with that we concluded, along with a few other things, that Fang must have wings too." Carlisle explained to the two of them and we all shuddered at the images that filled our brains.

"Amazing…" Emmett said, at a loss for words (almost).

"The thing is, we found vampire scent on the site too. So I think the explosion was centered on the vampire." Carlisle continued. "I just can't understand. It's obvious he doesn't know what we are, yet he's seen vampires before, and come into contact with them. Plus, I didn't recognize the scent. So whoever it was wasn't someone we knew."

I nodded my head in agreement and Jasper asked, "Then who was it? And why would they attack a group of angels? And what were they doing their in the first place? Aren't angels supposed to stay in heaven?"

"There are reports of angels all over the world and all throughout time Jasper. I'm sure they come down here to good old Earth every once and a while." Emmett said.

"I think we should tell him we know. It will make him trusting us easier." I said.

"I disagree. It will make him suspicious of us and more demanding of knowing are secret. We need to keep quiet." Rose said.

"I say we think about. Let him sleep and I'll try to think about the best solution." Carlisle said. He left to go into his study and think.

The rest of us mulled around. Dawn was coming and the others were thirsty so they went hunting. I went to Bella's but was shocked to find she wasn't home. I smell the gasoline and saw the cruiser was gone. They must have left to go somewhere.

I hurried home, hunting on the way, and by then it was sunrise. There I listened for Fang's thoughts and found that I could hear only the emotions of his dreams. His mental shield failed him only the slightest in his sleep.

_Pain…lots of pain, worse than on the beach or in the hospital. Fear; what is happening to me? Denial-make it stop! Pain…_

I cringed as I heard his dreams and quickly left his mind to my best abilities. His dreams were not dreams but nightmares, similar to last night. It was disturbing, his memories and dreams were.

I was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Hello?" I said.

"Edward?" Bella's exhausted voice came through the line I wondered why she was so tired.

"Bella, are you OK? You sound like you need some sleep. And why weren't you home?" So many questions.

"I called to tell you I'm sorry I wasn't home last night. Charlie forced me to go over to Sam and Emily's to see Billy and Jake. Leah and some crazy girl were there and it was storming so bad that we couldn't go home and I couldn't sleep. She attacked me." Bella yawned loudly after she was finished but I could hear the fear in her voice as she spoke of this attack and this crazy girl.

Abruptly, I was furious.

"What do you mean 'she attacked you'? Tell me who it was that hurt you Bella." I growled at the thought of Leah, who she said was present, attacking my Bella. Leah was a werewolf and Bella a human, so Bella didn't stand a chance. Plus, I would make sure Leah lost a leg or two for attacking my own personal angel.

"The crazy girl who was staying with Sam and Emily, some girl named Maximum." Bella responded. I growled on the phone, hating the fear in her voice.

"Tell me where she is." I demanded menacingly. I wanted to rip this girl apart.

"No Edward! It's fine, really. She was freaked, that was all. She didn't know who we were and thought we were robbers breaking in or something and hid. So when I found her hiding spot she freaked out and impulsively jumped me. I'm fine, though my stomach is a little sore. Don't worry; Billy said she's a little paranoid and doesn't get along well with others much. I don't blame her, though I think she hit her head in that car accident. So please don't worry." She begged me. I didn't care.

"Bella, I'm going to ask you nicely once and please, for the sake of my sanity, listen. Come over to my house so Carlisle can check you out. I know you're tired so you can sleep here. Please?" I begged her back.

"OK." She yawned and then hung up just as Alice zoomed into the room, along with everybody else aside from Carlisle.

"Edward, please please please please please please listen to me and calm down. Otherwise you'll end up breaking something when Bella gets here." Alice begged.

I frowned, worried. "Is it that bad?" I asked. She frowned, not answering, and my frown turned into a scowl.

"I'm going to kill this Max girl," I muttered. Jasper instantly sent me calming waves so I couldn't think of ways to kill whatever girl hurt Bella.

Bella got here soon enough and Carlisle checked on her. She was bruised slightly on her stomach and she said her arms were sore, but other than that she was alright. Bella went into my room and slept on my bed, to my pleasure, whispering my name several times throughout the day. Fang remained sleeping in his guest room.

I considered checking in on his dreams but decided that it was rude to listen in to his personal nightmares; something told me Fang treasured his privacy the same way Bella did.

I wondered why an angel would need to sleep at all. If you were dead, wasn't your whole existence one big eternal slumber? Then again, those other angels died and dead things can't die.

I was beginning to think he wasn't a biblical angel but a creature who was mutated. It would make more sense, though I've never heard of a wing mutation.

Sunset rolled around and Bella woke up.

"Edward?"

"I'm here love. Sleep well?" I murmured.

"Yes," she yawned. "I'm not tired anymore. Is Fang awake too?"

I listened to his adrenaline-pumped heartbeat thudding two rooms away. "I don't know." I muttered. She frowned at that so I knew she heard my quiet words.

_Edward, family meeting about the birdkid pronto. Bring Bella._ Alice thought.

"We need to go downstairs for a family meeting." Told her before scooping her into my arms and taking off downstairs.

Everyone was assembled in the dining room, even Carlisle. So he finally emerged from his thinking. I could see in his mind that he had no ideas and that the fact irritated him. I chuckled.

"Now, this family meeting is about Fang. We need some sort of plan of how to handle this…special situation." Carlisle announced quietly so that Fang wouldn't hear us. Bella barely could.

"What do we do?" Rose said.

"I don't know yet. It has been a long time since he went upstairs…Edward, what is he thinking?" Carlisle asked.

I zeroed in on Fang's thoughts and instantly my head rippled in pain. Jasper nearly fell to his knees before getting a grip on it.

Fang's thoughts were shattered, blood-filled images mixed with blurry faces and clear pains. Pains that felt so real to both him and me that there was no way they weren't. It was too solid in his flickering and fanciful dreams of death, destruction, fighting, and fire. The stinging heat, the swelling pressure, the jabbing pangs. They were too real, way too real.

Something was wrong with him.

"Fang is sick. He needs help."

My voice echoed through the room for a solid minute before everybody became a flurry of action.

"Get my medical supplies!"

"I got it; Emmett, come with me to carry the stuff."

"Right behind you Esme."

"We'll get water; Jasper come on!"

"Coming!"

"I'll get rags."

"I'll help you Carlisle!" I called, following him up the stairs.

Carlisle ripped the locked door open, pulling it off the hinges, as I followed him into the room.

Fang looked bad, really bad. He was laying on his back in an oversized bed and was tangled up in the sheets. His face was flushed, along with the rest of him. He wore a pair of long sleeved silk pajamas his long black hair was sticking out in every direction. I could feel the heat from his fever coming off of him, nearly hotter than the wolves 108 degrees. He tossed around, as if trying to get away from something.

"He's sick; it's obvious. Edward where is he hurting?" Carlisle's voice was anxious for once and I knew that he was anxious because he didn't how to treat people with wings.

"His wings." I said. "He's also got a fever."

Carlisle ripped Fang's shirt off, revealing his bandaged chest. The white wrappings from two nights ago were still on but had loosened from his tossing and turning. They were damped from sweat and water causing the wrapping to unravel slightly. He didn't wake at Carlisle's hasty action but twitched.

I flipped him over as Emmett and Esme arrived with Carlisle's medical supplies. He looked through them to pull out pain meds, scissors, a heart monitor, and shock paddles. Those last ones were out just in case; his heart was going so fast that it should fail soon by human standards. Then again Carlisle remembered that his heartbeat was as fast as the wolves that first night, liked it was hyped up on adrenaline.

I stared. And stared. I just couldn't help it.

I had secretly been a little doubtful that Fang would have wings too, even though Angel did. But any doubt was casted away as I saw the two pure black wings that jutted out of Fang's back. Even Carlisle paused in shock for a moment before a moan of pain slipped out of Fang's lips and he was all focus.

He was no longer Carlisle Cullen, vampire father. He was Dr. Cullen, professional medical doctor.

"Esme, hook up the heart monitor. Emmett, get out every anti-burn medication in the house. Rose, attach an IV to his wrist. Edward, cut off the bandages. I need to see all of his back, not just the wings."

I hadn't noticed til now, as I picked up the scissors and cut through the wrappings at vampire speed and tossed off the wrappings, how bad he looked. His back was covered in red irritated flesh and the skin was missing on most of his back, the edges fiery red and peeling. His wings were worse, black feathers missing on the bottom and more scorched flesh. Several cuts were visible to my perfect eyes only and were oozing yellow liquid.

They were infected. Fang's wings had burned in that explosion and now, since they hadn't been treated seriously like they should have been, they were badly infected.

Jasper and Alice appeared with their hands full of soaked rags. Hanging off their arms was several buckets of water.

"You'll need all the water you can get." Jasper said, examining his wings. They looked like death to him.

I agreed with his observation. Now we had to save the Angel of Death from dying.

I grabbed the buckets from Alice as Emmett grabbed the buckets from Jasper. We dunked them on his back and wings as Carlisle grabbed a rag from Alice and started to clean the wound.

Fang gave a little jump at the water being poured on him but didn't wake form his pained slumber. He tried to unconsciously move away when Carlisle started scrubbing though.

"Do what I'm doing." He instructed Esme, Jasper, and Alice. "I need any discharge or burnt skin and feathers off now if I want to treat anything."

They were getting to work as me and Emmett dashed back and forth from the bathroom, filling up the buckets and dumping water on his back. It was cold since we wanted to cool him down from his fever. I dumped a bucket or two on his head, knowing I needed to cool down his head first and foremost. The bed was quickly getting soaked.

On about the ninth cycle Bella came into the room with her own bucket of water. I paused, curious as I smelled the odd water.

"Saltwater?"

"Yep," She responded, dumping the bucket directly on his wings where Alice, Jasper, and Esme were scrubbing. Fang jumped up for the second time, letting out a yelp. "Whenever I got hurt at the beach in California with my summers with Charlie we would go straight to the beach. Saltwater is supposed to help heal wounds; the salt kills the bacteria. And that's what Fang is infected with, isn't it?"

I grinned with pride at her intelligence and Carlisle smiled, remembering that this was true. Me and Emmett started to dump salt into water and dump it on Fang's wings and back. Fang would hiss at the sting and twitch but didn't do anymore than that after three rounds of this; Bella managed to get one more bucket in.

"OK that's good. Edward I need you to sit him up and flip him around so that he's facing the headboard and hold him in place but don't touch his back. Esme and Rose, you two stretch and hold out his left wing. Emmett and Jasper, same with the right. Alice you hand me supplies. Bella, keep an eye on the monitors and tell me when his temperature gets too high or his heartbeat too fast. Hurry people, this boy's life are at stake!"

Carlisle gave out the orders so quickly that I wasn't sure if Bella caught it but I think she did since she seated herself in front of the monitors, bunkering down.

Rose and Esme delicately grabbed the tops of Fang's wings and the guys copycatted them. Fang yelped twice, the sounds running into each other, and started to struggle. I sat in front of him and held him still with all my strength; he was strong even weakened by the infection.

They slowly unfolded as the girls and guys walked away from the bed. Everyone let out a gasp as his wings went out all the way; they were so big that the two groups were beside the wings as the tips of nineteen foot wingspan almost touched the walls.

Good thing this was an exceptionally large office.

Carlisle dashed back and forth as he decided what to do first.

He moved over to his medication and grabbed a needle before injecting Fang with antibiotics to kill the bacteria. He then grabbed a special extra-strong medical cream and smeared it all over the fiery flesh of Fang's backside and arms. His arms weren't as bad and I now saw that Fang was right; his knuckles were fully heal along with all the bruises and cuts that had been there the night he arrived. The burns on his arms were nearly gone.

Carlisle struggled to rub in the cream on his soaked skin and I saw Alice go and return with a fluffy towel, dabbing all over Fang's flesh to dry it slightly. It helped to rub it in better.

When he was done with that he repeated his actions with two more separate creams before injecting Fang with a medicine that was meant to cool fevers through the IV. I used a spare rag to wipe more sweat off Fang's forehead to help cool him further.

"His temperature is lowering but it's not down low enough just yet. His heartbeat hasn't slowed though Carlisle and I'm worried about that because going this fast it might fail." Bella said worried.

Carlisle heard her words but didn't acknowledge them. "Alice, can you see his future?"

"I can't even see _our_ futures right now so don't remind me. Sorry Carlisle but we're flying this blind." Not even Emmett could laugh at Alice's unintentional humor.

"OK." Carlisle went to work cleaning Fang's wounds as they bled anew and oozed out awful yellow ooze. He also injected in more chemical and medicines into the IV and dumped some hydrochloric peroxide on the burns, killing more bacteria.

Bella informed us as Fang's temperature went down to around 103 and I knew that this was about normal for him as his burning forehead cooled; I had rested some of my fingers to help cool him down.

But I was worried as Fang's heartbeat wasn't affected. It stayed dangerously fast and even though it slowed by a beat or two it wasn't enough.

Then the worst sound possible came from where Bella was sitting.

Silence.

His heart had stopped.

FPOV:

My dreams kept me trapped inside my pained body as I writhed.

_No! I had to wake up soon so that I could go find Max. I needed to find her before I lose her forever! Or she loses me!_

I begged my brain to release me from my internal prison but it wouldn't comply it was so caught up in the pain that it had retreated me into a coma-like state.

Voices carried into my cage as people talked near my ears.

"He's sick; it's obvious. Edward where is he hurting?"

"His wings. He's also got a fever."

The voices were familiar so I think they must have been the Cullens. But who was sick?

Wait, they said _wings_. That means…

I'M SICK! I can't be sick; it's not possible! I'm an _avian hybrid_ for heaven's sake. How did I get sick?

Pain took me over again as my heart went on overdrive. It thumped dangerously fast in my chest as I felt something move around me, causing me to twitch. I then felt my body being flipped and my face rest on cotton and silk. I was laying on my stomach on the bed.

Even though pain had taken over my ability to move my body and I couldn't think very straight, I could still feel my surroundings, if only slightly. So the feeling of the damp cloth being removed from my torso was noticed.

A moan of pain escaped my lips as the air can in contact with my skin, fueling the burn while cooling at the same time; it was an odd combination.

I felt several other things happen quickly; a needle slipped underneath my skin at my wrist, small things connecting to my chest; the aches in my wings increase.

Suddenly a wave hit my back, soaking it with water and washing away the sweat. I jumped in shock as more and more water began to fall on my body like water balloons. A scratching ache ripped at my flesh as the torrent continued and I desperately struggled to get way; it hurt a lot.

Soon that stopped and more words came to ears but were blurry. Then the scrubbing increased ten-fold and I restrained a scream of pain as it tore and tore at my body and wings. The water kept coming though every once and a while some would miss my back and hit my arms or head. It felt good though.

"Saltwater?" This word was clearer than the others as a wave of new water, searing like the burn on my flesh. I couldn't restrain my yelp of pain or jump of shock. Soon the cooling water was gone and this was all that hit me. I hissed at the sting and twitched constantly.

My body was moved again. This time into a sitting position with my wings slowly spreading out without my permission. I felt a cooling sensation in several places, fingers grasping my scolding flesh.

I struggled and cried out in defiance against this force but it was no use; I didn't want to fight this healing cold. A duller cold came over my wings and felt the same restraint on my shoulders helped heal the heat.

I heard some rustling and felt the familiar sensations of chemicals and drugs coursing through my blood. What were they injecting me with? I wanted to struggle but the cold was mixing with the heat making it hard for me to find the controls to my limbs.

More words. "Alice, can you see his future?"

"I can't even see _our_ futures right now so don't remind me. Sorry Carlisle but we're flying this blind."

"OK." Stinging pain, then relief. I didn't know what these people were doing but I didn't really care because I was starting to feel better already.

Everything was still too fast though. Thoughts whirled around my brain at light speed, too fast for me to process. Memories added to the mix along with pictures like before when I first fell asleep.

Too fast. Way too fast. Too much…

CLIFFHANGER! Will Fang survive long enough to see Max again? Well I have been cruel by killing off the Flock even though that was the major part of plot, so anything's possible!

Songs for you to listen 2!

_Worry About You by 2am Club_

_Run This Town by Jay Z feat. Rihanna and Kanye West_

_Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons (they are a new band but rock like hell!)_

_Knock You Down by Keri Hilson_

_Hold On by Wilson Phillips (it's an 80's song but good; I'm currently listening to a blast from the past #1s)_

Want a preview?

Preview:

_I instinctually knew something was wrong at that moment. Something had happened to Fang; I was sure of it._

_I remembered a conversation I had with Fang after we reunited again in North Carolina (Go North Carolinians! That's me!)._

_He told me that when flyboys attacked them they told him and the guys that the flyboys said we were dead in Germany. But he had known instinctually known that this wasn't true because he said he would be able to feel it when I was gone from this Earth._

_Well, that's what I felt at that moment. It was like I could feel the Earth move around me and fall from my feet. Like all reason for my life left me. _

_He was dead. Fang had died and I could save him. My family killed themselves to keep us alive and we let them die in vain because Fang was dead too._

_Well then that's it. I'll keep my promise to myself and join my Flock. I hope I've done enough good to deserve to be with them._

_Besides, why would I stay any longer? The pain from his loss was too much for me now and I didn't want to wait and search for his body and see it for myself. I could live without that._

_I wonder what killed him. Whatever it was, I hope karma gets to them. I don't want to stay long enough to deal with them; it would waste time from joining my family._

_Fang, here I come._

Well there it is. Very long preview but it really is needed.

~Sweevil Out!


	9. Judging Our Love

Disclaimer: This is a waste of time. Therefore, I will not do one! I OWN EVERYTHING! HA! *cowers in fear when producers and writers come an invade my house and quickly takes it back*

A/N- There is none. I know you are anxious to see who survives.

**Warning: if you are an extremely religious person and do not like depictions of God that are not to your personal standards, please do not read most of this next chapter. If you have issues with suicide then please avoid a majority of this chapter also. I must say this is an important plot chapter but again, if you have problems with these two things you might as well just skip this chapter.**

MPOV:

I woke with shudders running through me. I looked out the window and saw it was dark outside.

Was it really still nighttime? I felt like I slept longer than that…

I looked at the clock and saw it was only 12:30. But when I went to sleep in Sam and Emily's extra bedroom it was 1:24.

Oh! I slept throughout the whole day! But why? I wasn't that tired, my burned wings and back had just been hurting. But now they felt fine.

I groggily raised myself from the bed and forced my wings open. They were hesitant to move but felt OK.

I managed to slip halfway into the bathroom with one wing inside and the other outside the bathroom and into the bedroom.

I gasped in shock. My wing was perfectly healed, not a scratch on it from what I could see which is a lot considering my raptor vision.

I got out and did the same with the other wing. Perfect, just like the other.

I smiled into the mirror. I was completely healed and could fly around and find Fang a lot faster than these dogs. The wolf pack was nice and all but they were slow. I _so_ would have found Fang by now if I had been able to look.

I got dressed into a pair of plain but durable clothes and prepared myself to go hunt for the boy even though it was the middle of the night.

That was when a feeling of pain and loss so powerful that it couldn't be physical pain coursed through me. I fell to my knees and held my hands over my heart; that was where the pain was centered.

My heart broke into a million pieces at that instant.

I instinctually knew something was wrong at that moment. Something had happened to Fang; I was sure of it.

I remembered a conversation I had with Fang after we reunited again in North Carolina (Go North Carolinians! That's me!).

He told me that when flyboys attacked them they told him and the guys that we were dead in Germany. But he had instinctually known that this wasn't true because he said he would be able to feel it when I was gone from this Earth.

Well, that's what I felt at that moment. It was like I could feel the Earth move around me and fall from my feet. Like all reason for my life left me.

He was dead. Fang had died and I couldn't save him. My family killed themselves to keep us alive and we let them die in vain because Fang was dead too.

Well then that's it. I'll keep my promise to myself and join my Flock. I hope I've done enough good to deserve to be with them.

Besides, why would I stay any longer? The pain from his loss was too much for me now and I didn't want to wait and search for his body and see it for myself. I could live without that.

I wonder what killed him. Whatever it was, I hope karma gets to them. I don't want to stay long enough to deal with them; it would waste time from joining my family.

Fang, here I come.

FPOV:

I could feel it when my heart stopped. It was like all the heat in me just left my body in a single instant.

_Max…I'm so sorry. Keep yourself safe for the Flock's sacrifice, for my sacrifice._

Blackness. It made death lonely. That was when a light flashed in my line of sight.

It wasn't regular light. It wasn't white or blinding but a rainbow of colors and was a blurry kind of light; the light someone going blind would see. It blurred my vision and then wind spiraled around me in wild wisps.

Was this death? It didn't sound like a chariot to heaven or a hoard of angels that stories from the bible talked about. That was the only book that I read any of that really talked about what happened when you died.

The tornado of colors surrounding me stopped and my eyes took a moment to focus on the scene before me.

It was like a classic court that you see on TV. There was a judge only I couldn't really see him; he was just a person-shaped blur of rainbows. His form was constantly changing shape from a generic shape to different and more definite shaped figure but it was different every time. It confused me greatly since he looked like the tornado from a second ago and I couldn't look at him for long before my eyes started to cross.

I saw two tables. One was empty and the other had four familiar shapes sitting at it. There back were facing to me but then they turned to me and smiled simultaneously.

"Fang!" Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, and Iggy yelled. I smiled back at them.

"Guys! What's going on?" I was beyond confused.

"You're dead." Angel said sadly. Then she got angry. "I thought I told you to stay alive! Did you not listen to me? And Max; oh God Max. Oh sorry, was that offensive?"

I saw that Angel was talking to the blurred shape. It seemed to move it's head and Angel looked relieved.

"Is that the big guy?" I asked her pointing to the blurred shape.

"Yep! You should be nicer because he's the one deciding your fate." Nudge informed me.

"My fate?" I sat down in the seat at the empty table, feeling it was where I should go. The blurry guy moved his head in a way different from before so I guessed that was a 'good job' gesture.

"Now to begin." An unfamiliar fleeting voice said. I turned to see a stick-like man walking around on the ground. Odd, I didn't see any ground but I sensed it was there.

He had sticky blonde hair and sharp brown eyes. His face was pale but serious and I immediately felt like I should listen to him. And I never felt like that around anybody but this man demanded respect. He looked me in the eye.

"Fang, you have been sentenced to death by your own mistakes. But your death has gone under consideration for readmission back into life due to special circumstances."

"What special circumstances?" I asked the stick man.

"Well," He replied. "you friends have given an official request for your reanimation. Most cases aren't considered but you're…condition and purpose made us put up this court. We usually don't usually do this so you can see how important your life is."

I nodded eagerly. I really wanted to go back but not for me. Max needed me and she wouldn't last without my support; or me without hers. I loved her and heaven was no heaven to me without her.

A joyful sounding grumble came from the blurred man but then his shape turned to a female body before going back blurry and then a distinctly male shape. OK, so male or female? I didn't know.

"We know that Max can't save the world without you Fang. You are just as vital to the survival to of the human race as Max is. You are the other liberator; you two are a team decided by fate and circumstance; maybe a little luck too. Without you Max will fail." Gazzy said.

"Have you been hanging around your sister Gasman? You sound like Angel with this fate and save the world stuff." I said. The stick man glared at me but it was strangely peaceful too.

"This 'stuff' is you whole life's purpose so take this seriously if you want to continue to live." He said sharply.

"Please Fang; we made a sacrifice for you so please make our efforts worth while." Iggy begged. I nodded at his seriousness.

"Now, you four please give your statements." The man commanded.

Iggy stood and walked forward til he was sitting in the seat at the stand beside the blurry man.

"I've known Fang since I was four and could still see." He began.

"You could say he was the quiet type. He never talked much in the School even as a small child. I met him after he met Max so it was the three of us. The others weren't born yet. He and Max had a connection I'd never seen. It was like they knew each other before they knew each other. Other life stuff, you know? The click that happened when they would look at one another was audible. Anyone could see it; even a blind birdkid like me. They were meant to be with each other and when Max first dropped the whole 'I-have-a-voice-in-my-head' stuff on us he acted like it was natural. I'm sure he was freaked like me but he never looked at her different no matter what happen to her and how things changed. When she said she had to save the world he was the first one on the ship she was running. He respected her and she respected him; a mutually connection.

"I loved Fang like a brother and still do, and I'm also a firm believer of deserving happiness in life; or afterlife. And Fang's heaven isn't here but down there with Max, kicking Itex butt and living in the woods with the only girl for him."

Iggy stood up, bowed to the blurry man who, if I was seeing this right, looked almost embarrassed at the show of respect, and went back to his seat. The other three congratulated on his speech.

I was in shock. I know I thought of Iggy as a brother but I never knew the feeling was so mutual. I gave him a nod of thanks and then remembered he was blind; the way he looked at me made me think he could see me. I think he got the message though.

Nudge was next. She skipped to the stand and looked at her feet, nervous.

"Well…I don't know where to begin. I guess I'll start at the beginning like Iggy.

"Fang was like a big brother. He, Iggy, and Max were all like my older siblings from day one. Even though my talkative personality really clashed with his 'I'm-a-silent-emo-so-don't-mess-with-me' attitude that he had half the time, I knew that he loved me. When I got hurt Fang and Max were the first ones to get to me. He was like a dad at times too, though I always reminded myself that he was only three years older than me.

"Max and Fang are like Romeo and Juliet to me; meant to be throughout anything and everything. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Percy and Annebeth, Bella and Edward. Perfect for each other and fitting in with each other like the parts of a car. They worked together flawlessly whether it was fighting erasers or finding a place to sleep or just getting through another day at the School. I even use to dream about them growing up and living together and having adorable kids when we lived at the E-house. You know, when life was the most normal it has ever been for us." She gave me a happy smile.

"I can always find the happiness in life for other people and I think Fang's happiness in his life is Max; and Max only. They need a chance before they lose the world and the world loses them."

Nudge left the stand the same way she came and I felt like crying or giving a round of applause or both; she was really inspiration and again I couldn't believe she was so passionate about me and Max being together.

The Gasman got up and shyly scurried to the stand. He seemed to struggle to get on the chair that I couldn't see but managed after a while.

"Like Nudge I'll just begin. OK…" Gazzy took a deep breath.

"Fang was like the dad I never had. Not to quote Nudge but when I imagined what I wanted my parent to be I would imagine Max and Fang. They both loved me and with Fang it was the little things that showed it; the way he always checked us over an extra time when Max was finished bandaging our wounds, the way he would always tolerate our annoying tributes and even let us embrace them instead of contradicting us, and the way he always made sure to stay a step in front of us on the road so that in anything came at us unexpectedly he would get hurt and not us. He looked out for us and with Max the two of them made sure we never had an unnecessary wound. If he could take the hit instead of us, he took it.

"And Max made him happy. I'm eight years old and I could tell that; I'm not even a mind reader like Angel! When Max was around he would actually smile a full smile and laugh and his eyes would light up in a weird way that I don't think will ever happen to me. When we were separated he would mope and not really joined in on anything me and Iggy wanted to do. Even separated the two of them were connected and I always had a feeling that they were more closely connected than I will ever know. I did only meet them when I was three and I know that all those years of being friends made their souls intertwine into one being. They were meant to be and if that's not true then my name's not the Gasman."

Gazzy gave a proud smile and saluted the blurry man like the man was a general and he was the loyal soldier. He marched proudly back to his seat and everyone gave him a congrats.

I wanted to congratulate him on such a heartfelt speech too, though I also wanted to cry again.

Angel was last. Her walking was like dancing and her ballerina spin on the way made me know it was intentional. She sat down and gave the blurry man a wide angelic smile; Angel always made weird friends. The blurry man gave a joyful sound again. I think that he _was_ speaking but I just wasn't fluent in the language so it sounded like a bunch of grumbling to me.

She looked at me with the same blue eyes that had haunted me with their final look. But the lively look in them now told me the thing I didn't know that I needed to know; that she was happy someway, somehow, in her afterlife. I smiled softly back.

"Fang," she addressed me formally.

"You were my dad in every way that mattered to me. You held me when I cried because I had had nightmare, you protected me when erasers attacked our family, and you loved me a way that I will always remember. I will always owe you my life several times over but that's not why I came to testament against your death. I came here because you need your life.

"And it's not here. It's down there, looking for you. Max loves you more than anything Fang and if I've ever seen true love it was in you and Max. She needs you and you need her; without the other you will not survive, physically, mentally, or emotionally. This was proven here. Without Max you have died Fang. And without you she will too; it's been predicated. And without you two the world will die. I don't want that and neither does this being over here." She pointed to the blurry man above her.

"The connection between you two was tangible. When you were together I could try to put my hand between you two and, if you didn't bite it off for creating a physical barrier between you two, I would have been able to feel the deep friendship and endless love that flowed like a current between you. Even though I could enter your minds the silent conversations you guys had were unreadable to me. I didn't understand it and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't. And then I realized it; you two loved each other. Your bodies, souls, and hearts were forever connected and if I ever wanted to try and understand it I would have to find my other half myself.

"Yet I don't think that even if I did it would be on the level that you two have. The world needs that kind of incomprehensible love on it to help balance out the evils and without that type of love holding you guys together the world wouldn't have a chance.

"So I believe Fang needs another chance at life. He made mistakes and luck worked against him. But the world needs Max and Max needs Fang by her side. The world won't have a chance and Max would be destroyed if she lost Fang; but you already knew that."

Angel smiled at blurry man and then hopped up and danced back to her seat. She seemed satisfied with what she had said and I was beyond amazed; by her, by everything. They all spoke with such vigor and power when they spoke of me and Max together that I was surprised. I knew that they knew that Max and I were close but I didn't think they knew how close we were.

I smiled at my misfit family. They deserved happy endings too and it saddened me that this, death with an afterlife in heaven, was all they got. I think they deserved a happy life too.

"It's OK Fang, we _were_ happy in our lives. You and Max made sure that we had the happiest lives we could have had and you deserve one too. Running around with three kids and a blind boy isn't your perfect life. You and Max together forever doing anything you want is your perfect life you know it. And you can't lie to me Fang." Angel said, hearing my thoughts with her dead mind. She gave me a sad smile at that thought and I returned it.

I looked up from my Flock and saw the stick man whispering to the blurry man. The blurry man got even blurrier and then the stick man drew back and walked up to face me.

"Fang." He said. Looks like this is it; my verdict.

"Considering all the variables in this peculiar case He has decided that…"

EPOV:

I sat beside Bella as she cried. I was in the chair in front of the heart monitor that was still connected to the dead boy's body and Bella sat in my lap.

Ten minutes from now Fang's heart stopped beating. Not a single beat since.

"How can angels die?" She sobbed. I knew Bella felt for others and it killed her inside to know that she had some hand in the recovery of this boy and failed. It killed me too but not as much as watching her cry.

"Shhhhh, don't cry sweetheart. It's OK, it's for the best. He was sick and in a lot of pain; he's resting peacefully now." I whispered in her ear. My words didn't calm her but made her cry harder.

_Thump._

Eight heads snapped upward at the single sound. But I swore I heard a beat from that monitor.

"Just a malfunction." Carlisle murmured from the corner where he held a sobbing Esme. Everyone was mourning for the boy they barely knew in there own way. I didn't care enough to pay attention to them.

_Thump._

I stared at the monitor as another single beat pulsed across the screen.

"Once is a malfunction but twice…" Alice mumbled hopefully, looking up from Jasper's arms.

_Thump. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump…_

The miraculous beating of Fang's heart started up again and Esme cried out in joy.

"He's alive!" She shouted happily.

All of us crowded around the boy's body, which lay in a resting position on the bed, and watched as his heart started up again. I could hear it thumping in his chest; the monitor was just an echo to me but it was Bella's only way of knowing his heart was beating.

His chest started to move up and down; another signal that showed life in this beat-up body of his.

Slowly, so slowly that I could feel it torturing Carlisle and Emmett, his black eyes opened and stared at the ceiling as if he saw more to it than I did. His mind was still blocked.

"Thank you guys. I hope you we right Angel; I hope we gave you a happy life."

FPOV:

I opened my eyes for the first time on what felt like forever. But it was only around ten minutes ago.

I looked at the ceiling and saw a vision of my dead Flock members waving goodbye to me for the last time, their silent words telling me that they would be watching and to tell Max they loved her.

"Thank you guys. I hope you we right Angel; I hope we gave you a happy life."

They disappeared and I moved my eyes away from the ceiling.

Seven elated golden eyes and one pair of ecstatic chocolate brown eyes stared back.

"He's alive, he's alive, he's alive…" The woman, Esme, said the phrase over and over again like a chant of worship.

"Fang?" Edward said my name on a question as if to confirm it was mine. I instinctually threw my mental shield up.

"Yes?" I responded.

Silence.

The room erupted into cheers from the Cullens at the confirmation and I took the chance to get use to the loud noises of the real world again; I had gotten use to the quiet peaceful voices at the judging.

The final part of that meeting ran through my mind.

"_Fang." He said. Looks like this is it; my verdict._

"_Considering all the variables in this peculiar case He has decided that…"_

_We all help our breath in anticipation at the answer._

"…_you deserve a second chance to live your life with your love and help assist her in saving the human race. Good luck in your living life." _

_The stick man turned and walked away and I never saw him again after he disappeared into a puff of clouds and smoke._

_Plus, the six and eight year olds holding onto my legs and an eleven year old's arms wrapped around my waist might have also hindered my observatory skills._

"_We did it, we did it, we saved you!" The two siblings chanted in happiness and I scooped them up inside my arms. _

"_Fang and Max are both going to be OK!" Nudge said at the same time._

"_You guys really did so thank you. I also didn't know that you all thought so deeply about me and Max; the only one I expected something like that come from is Angel." I said laughing. I would see Max again; my world got considerably brighter at this knowledge._

"_Hey!" Three birdkids yelled at me while the fourth gave a snooty look to them three._

"_Ha-ha! I'm the smart one!" She boasted._

"_No Angel, you all four are smart." I said._

"_That's right." Nudge agreed, shaking her head in time with Gazzy. "Listen to Fang." Gazzy added._

_I dropped the kids and ruffled their hair._

"_Thank you all, for everything; in life and death we are all still one big happy Flock." I told them three._

_Iggy came up to me and held out his fist. "Live on bro." He said with a happy smile, his pale blue eyes focused on me._

"_Same to you bro; you'll always be a brother to me." I told him truthfully. His blue eyes brighten at this. _

"_Can you see?" I asked out of curiosity; it felt like his eyes were following me more intensely than ever._

_Iggy gave me the biggest smile anyone has ever seen; it showed pure bliss and relief._

"_Yep; apparently blindness in life doesn't mean blindness in death. I'm just getting an eyeful until you go. You really changed from when you were four, you know that?" He said looking at me critically._

"_I would hope so." I muttered sarcastically. Iggy chuckled._

"_Time to return." An almighty voice commanded and instantly the rainbow tornado was back and felt myself falling endlessly._

"_This is your only chance Fang! No amount of convincing will be able to make me give you a third one." The mighty voiced called after me and I knew beneath it all that this was it; my final chance at a living life with Max._

I listened to the cheering calm down and smiled happily for the first time since I lost Max.

"Well, seems like you guys have some explaining to do." I said as I noticed my shirt was missing and my wings we in open view for all to see. My bliss at another chance was the only thing that made me sound almost teasing as I said this and not murderously angry. But I was getting there.

"On the contrary Fang, _you _are the one who has some explaining to do." Edward counteracted and I swore quietly under my breath.

"Shit." I muttered. I guess I can't hide anything now…

MPOV:

I stared ahead of me with a blank expression on my face. That was all I could manage anymore, utter blankness.

Fang was dead. And so will I be very, very soon.

I was on a branch of a tall and heavy tree. The thick rope hung around my neck like a necklace; my wings forced underneath by my two thick sweatshirts-impossible to break through under any circumstance.

The pounding feeling of emptiness and pitless sorrow flew freely through my body the same way I once flew through the skies. But the sky was an ocean of painful reminders and I hadn't even flown to get all the way up here; I had walked and climbed, unable to allow myself any feeling of flight until Fang was by my side. In heaven.

_This is it Maximum Ride; time to be reunited with your family._ I told myself. I had to admit I was nervous.

_You're making a mistake Maximum; Fang will be fine._ I hadn't intended for the Voice to crash my suicide party.

_And you are annoying me. Now leave me alone Voice. You can't lie to me and tell me Fang isn't dead; even you don't lie._

_That's true, I don't lie to you, but everything will be alright Maximum; you are jumping the gun._

_No I'm not. I can't stand this…this desolation Voice. Please understand that; Fang is dead and he was my reason for living any longer._

_But he's not dead Maximum; he's coming back alive soon, he's being saved as we speak. Please think about this; do you really want to die?_

_If Fang is dead too then yes._

_But what if he's not?_

_Then of course not Voice, don't be stupid; I would never hurt Fang like that. But he IS dead; I came FEEL it. And I can't stand this feeling anymore; it's tearing me to pieces! It's unbearable; you're in head and you know how I'm feeling._

_Yes I DO. It would be a ruff comparison to what I would guess Hades would feel like; a like a rusty knife in your heart. But Maximum; just hold on for a few more minutes and you'll know why. Fang WILL be OK if you hold on. But if you die everything will be lost and his saviors' efforts will be for nothing._

_Then who's saving him?_

_Your Flock; right now very important beings are deciding if he will get a second chance. They are almost done with the judging._

_I don't believe you! Liar; you're a liar! You would help me; you wouldn't tell me where Fang was and now he's DEAD! D-E-A-D, dead Voice! That doesn't matter to you at all, does it? I mentally screamed at him. The anguish was becoming too much to bear any longer._

_Fang does matter to me; you and he are soul mates and without him you could not fulfill your purpose. The voice was as calm as always._

_You still don't get it! You still don't understand that Fang's life is more important to me than any of those human people that I'm suppose to save! The world could end right now for I care because FANG IS DEAD! And all you care about is my stupid purpose! Well screw you Voice; I REFUSE to listen to you blab on about my purpose any longer because without Fang around my purpose could go to hell for all I care!_

Tears were streaming down my face at lightning speeds by now and I couldn't stand it anymore.

It was time to end it. It was time to end it now.

The desolation came over me at full force, nearly knocking me off the branch itself. I grabbed the rope, tightening it to where it was digging into my flesh…

And I jumped.

And that's it. Ha, see what I did there? I made Fang live because despite my absolute love for Max I love Fang even more and his POV is the main one in this story. He is the main character in this because he is just that awesome. But Max's fate in uncertain as of now.

I hoped you liked the way I gave the other Flock members, Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, and Iggy, there own happy endings. They now live in heaven and, according to them, had a very good life all things considered. That will be the end of their parts of this story and from now I will move on to different dangers and saving the world; human and vampiric.

Also, I guess I should answer some questions that I know you'll have about my heaven interpretation. First, I do not believe that's what happens when you die or what God looks like. I simply made it up for the sake of this story and it is roughly taken from an independent book that I was writing this summer. So don't take anything personally, like I said in the warning.

I want to say that the reason that God decided to let Fang live again was not just because of his assisting Max in saving the world but mainly his love for Max. That was what saved him; their love.

I also would like to respond to several reviews. I usually only respond to one specific review but I've been behind on my comments. Some of these might go a chapter or two back.

**Alice- **I'm glad I updated the chapter "Any Kind of Trouble" on your birthday. I love giving birthday gifts in the form of Fanfiction!

**Abby-Jade-Love**- I didn't know any other North Carolinians on Fanfiction besides my little sis so I'm so glad to be another you (or are you another me? I guess we are just clones of each other) (PS. CLONES WILL RULE THE WORLD! Hahahahahahaha- or at least Australia; watch out Australians, the clones are coming for you!)

**MadToTheBone1**-I agree that that would be awesome but that wouldn't mesh correctly into the story so…I plan on doing funny never-considered-one-shots after this is done since I had several funny scenes that didn't fit either. But that's a good while from now so don't get your hopes up (I _do_ have other stories).

For now I have no preview. I _did_ give you guys two chapter in two days and I updated a chapter in another one of my stories, a (in Fanfic language) SWAC story. PS. That's a Sonny with a Chance story; check it out if love that show like I do!

But I do have song!

I'm just a Girl by No Doubt

Hella Good by No Doubt

So What by Pink (did I do that one already? I thought I already went through a Pink phase?)

Half of my Heart by John Mayer feat. Taylor Swift (I hate that song. It should just be John Mayer because he is ten times better Taylor even though I like her a little bit and plus she has like what, two lines in that song?)

DJ making Us Fall in Love Again by Usher

I Made It by Kevin Rudolf

Take It Off by Kesha (_Definitely_ not PG)

Whatever else is playing on the radio (95.1 and 96.1 for all you in the Charlotte area.)

~Sweevil Out!


	10. The Afterwards

Disclaimer: Just…ignore this part. I know I do.

A/N-Please read this because you should know by now that my authors notes are important. I wanted to inform you that story has several problems and conflicts in it and just because the initial problem has been solved-Fang's worry about what happened to the Flock and if they made the right choice sacrificing themselves-doesn't mean that this is it for this story. Trust me when I say that this story will end up being long because I will add some familiar enemies into the mix. There is a reason I had Omega in the first chapter other than to force the Flock to kill themselves. Man, I just realized how much suicide is in this story. Wow. The things you realize when you think them over. (When I read _The Forest of Hands and Teeth_ I didn't realize it was about a zombie apocalypse til I read the authors note at end; they were just crazed sick people in my head.)

LPOV:

We got back to Emily's house after midnight.

We had gone out to eat. A rare thing for us Pack members since we eat so much and well…food costs money. So McDonalds was _very _happy to see a pack of werewolves come through their doors; not that the employees knew.

So we had just gotten back to their house where Max and Old Quil were. Both were staying in different guest bedrooms. Max had been sleeping all day to my amazement and Old Quil was staying there to keep an eye on her if she woke before we got back from a long day of searching. We had combed through all of La Push and Forks today, along with the leftover forests that were within our territory. Sam and Emily even went to Port Angelus just incase.

But still we found nothing, nothing at all. How could one boy disappear from face of the earth like this? I suspected the Cullens had something to do with the missing birdkid, as Max called herself, but Sam demanded that we leave the bloodsuckers alone since we had no viable reason to go marching over there. Plus, if they didn't know anything it was wrong to let Max's secret out through our thoughts. That mindreading bloodsucker is pretty annoying when it comes to keeping secrets, well secret.

So we opened the door and I was assaulted with Max's human-bird scent. It had only been in the kitchen briefly, but the direction it came from and was headed to the living room. Max must have woken up and gotten something to eat. I felt guilty for not getting her something since she ate like we did but I pushed the feeling away; we had plenty of food here, I'm sure she got something. Or was I guilty about something else?

I walked into the living room with Jake and Seth flanking me I was surprised to only see Old Quil stretched out on the couch asleep, the TV still running on some 50's program that was in black and white; the TV of his days.

"Old Quil?" I asked. He jerked up instantly and looked at us three werewolves with drowsy eyes.

"Leah? Seth, Jacob? What's going on, what time is it?" He said. He must have been asleep for a long time. Max's bird scent was all over this room.

"I think Max is awake; her scent is all over this room. Where is she?" I said.

Old Quil looked surprised. "I don't know. She wasn't awake when I was and I didn't hear her wake so I don't know."

"We need to find her." I said. That guilty feeling came over me again and it wasn't about the food this time, I was sure.

Something very, very wrong was going on.

I sprinted to Max's room with Seth on my tail and I pulled the unlocked door open.

Empty.

The bad feeling in my stomach increased.

"She's not in her room!" I yelled out.

"Where could she go?" Seth asked.

"The forest; where she lost Fang." I said without thought, but I realized that it made perfect sense. We went back to the living room and met up with Jacob and Sam.

"I heard what you said and you're right; her scent leads out the back door. Let's go. Old Quil, you call the Pack; we have a missing girl on our hands."

"And maybe much worse than that." I added.

We dashed out the door and followed her scent through the trees on human feet. Changing would waste precious time.

Soon I spotted a flash of blonde-streaked brown in the treetops.

"There!" I said pointing.

It was Max all right. She was on a branch about a hundred feet into the air, balancing precariously. She was fully dressed with thick cotton covering her wings. Her face twinkled in the moonlight and it made me think it was wet.

Her face got me though. It was contorted in pain and anger like I had never seen before. The anger left after a second and was now only her anguish was left.

She was in pain.

I knew what grief did to people. I had experienced enormous grief before and trust me, losing the most important person in your world can bend you and break you. And Max had been bent too far and had broken.

This meant only one thing. She had somehow gotten news that Fang had died.

Her face twinkled in the light again and I realized she was crying.

She then did the unexpected. Max jumped from the branch, her wings still trapped beneath the thick clothing she was wearing.

I didn't even see the ring of brown rope around her neck til she was jerked up by the force of the material.

"MAX!" I screamed at her. I was echoed by three male voices. _No!_ _She was killing herself! No!_

Even when it seemed like such a happy option I never tried to kill myself after Sam imprinted. I knew it would kill my family and brother so I didn't consider it an option.

But Max had no family left. Her family and her friends were all dead and now so was the love of her life. I don't think I could comprehend such pain if Seth, Sam, Sue, and the Pack all died. I would be lost and would probably never find my way back to sanity again.

But no matter how much I would internally agree with her decision I knew I had to stop her.

Seth and Jake jumped forward jumped forward and exploded simultaneously. The black and sandy wolves both leaped up in an attempt to get their jaws around the rope and cut it with their teeth. But not even Jake, with his massive size and uber strength, could reach that high and not hurt Max. Meanwhile Max was reaching and grasping in an effort to save her own life. Her hands clawed at the rope while her face slowly became pale from loss of oxygen.

Sam threw himself forward like he guys and exploded out of his clothes for the first time in about a year. He had never been in a situation where he didn't have time to undress first but this was different; a girl was dying.

I followed the guys' example and morphed with my clothes still on. They stretched until my body became too big and then I was the familiar furry creature that I was more often than not.

_Max!_ Seth shouted. _How are we going to get to her? If we try to snap the rope we'll snap her!_ Seth was beyond anxious and just as clueless as to what to do. She was pretty high up.

My larger wolf eyes could now see the finer details and I saw the tears that streamed down the fourteen year old girl's face as she choked. Her face was starting to turn blue and her strugglings were becoming weaker.

My thought made Sam go into overload with thought as to how and get her down in time. One arrant thought that passed through his head for only a second caught my attention.

_Sam, that's a perfect idea! Hurry, Jacob get fight under Max we'll pile up on top of each other._ I yelled in my haste. Sam didn't even reply to me before Jacob was in position under Max. She is moving less and less now…

Sam quickly jump on Jacob's back since he was the second largest. Seth had trouble trying to get up until he used my back to get on Sam. We still wouldn't be able to get her down til I got on Seth's back.

To bad I was too small to get up there by myself.

_You're a genius Leah._ Jake said angrily. He wasn't under much of stress from the weight but was pissed that Max wasn't safe yet. That was when just what we need arrived.

Quil and Embry busted into the part of the forest we were in. They didn't even look up before exploding into wolves.

They saw what we were thinking and stacked on top of each other in an instant.

OK, I could get on them. I hopped on their backs like a stepping stone to get on Seth's.

When I was them I came face to face with Maximum Ride. Her tear-stricken face was almost completely blue and I her struggling was close to none.

I lifted my big head and snapped the rope with my teeth. Max fell from where she hung underneath the branch and I saw Jared catch her in his arms. When had he gotten here?

I leaped off the guys and they followed my example.

_Is she alive? Is she OK? Is she alive? Is she OK?_ Seth chanted the questions in a constant worried stream. I was thinking the same things.

Jake and I were just standing there worriedly, trembling. Seth was pacing back and forth with that chant running through his mind. Sam was leaning over Max with human Jared, Paul, Collin, and Brady. Embry and Quil had run off to get Sue who was currently at the house.

_Shut up Seth, you aren't helping._ I growled.

_Is she alive? Is she OK?_ He ignored me and continued.

_Shut up all of you!_ Sam commanded before running into the trees and emerging a minute later as a human.

"Get that rope off her neck now!" Sam yelled at the guys. They had been frozen in shock and fear but now they moved at lightning speeds. Paul and Jared ripped the rope off her neck a second and Collin and Brady started to pump Max's chest up and down, trying to get her to breath.

Sam pushed the kids out of the way and pumped Max's chest furiously. He then blew his breath into her mouth in an effort to get her to breathe again. I was instinctually jealous until I snapped out of it; Sam was just trying to save her life.

_Now of all times Leah?_ Jacob mentally screamed at me.

_Sorry, can't help it,_ I whimpered back, shame overtaking me.

Sam worked for a few minutes, anxiousness taking over the longer he worked. Yet Max didn't start breathing. We all held our breath, not breathing.

Just like Max.

No, no! She had to live, she just had to! She was an angel; they don't die. Angels save people; they don't need people to save them. And she was such a great person too. Her personality was exactly like mine and we got along easily. We both enjoyed messing with the guys, loved to make sarcastic remarks, and we both had a temper. She made me feel like I wasn't the only female freak out their; and vampires didn't count. She was a tough girl who lived in a super natural world all alone in one way or another, just like me.

She was a great friend. She had to live.

Then Max's breathe whooshed out of her and her chest started to move. Her eyes popped open and ragged breathes started to come out her. She attempted to get propped up on her elbows but failed almost immediately.

"SHE'S ALIVE!" I screamed in joy. My friend had lived!

I looked up to the where Max's eyes were trained, ready to thank God above for the luck. To my shock I saw four winged children flying circles around us, high in the sky. They were laughing and yelling yet no words reached my ears. I blinked and they disappeared.

"Thank you." I murmured anyway.

After a few minutes of coughing and gasping Max's breathing finally became normal again but the tears didn't stop.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore.

"What. The. Hell. You tried to KILL yourself! What is wrong with you?"

Max's face was calm even though tears continued down her face.

"Fang died." She said simply.

I froze, feeling bad for bringing it up; hadn't I already come up with this conclusion? I guess I just really needed to hear it from her. After a second she continued.

"I could feel it. The world and all meaning of life just left me…Then I jumped and you guys came along and saved me…And then I could feel the world come back together again and I started to breathe again." She was timid when she said this and knew that even though it was my nature, I couldn't be made at her. She had done the only option available; I had to applaud her for her courage. I don't think I would have it in me to kill myself. I would just end up locked in some room for the rest of my existence, or until I starved.

Apparently everybody else had the power in them to be mad at her.

"You idiot-"

"How could you even think-"

"Insane! You're absolutely-"

"I agree! Maximum Ride has-"

"—could have DIED! Don't you-"

"-INSANE! How you've l-"

"-gone off the deep end!"

"Where did your brain go when you thought of this?"

"-see?-when you're dead you're gone for good!"

"Please explain to me what you were thinking-"

"-ived this long I'll never know!"

"You're lucky we showed up when we did."

"Got that right."

"-so that I can beat that kind of thinking out of you!"

"You need therapy."

I'd gotten a little fed up with the guy's yelling at her; even Sam. Plus, Max was starting to look guiltier and guiltier. She didn't need that.

I pulled myself together again and Jared handed me clothes, respectively looking away.

"OK, _OK!_ I know that Max made a mistake but lay off assholes. She nearly _died_, remember. She needs room and oxygen. Why don't you guys go alert everyone that she's OK?" I commanded.

Most of the guys glared at me but the younger ones nodded in complete loyalty; they didn't know what to do beyond yelling at her and were eager to follow any orders that were given by an older wolf. The guys who had been wolves longer were the ones that glared, not liking my bossy attitude.

"Leah," Sam began but I cut him off.

"No Sam. You all will listen to me right now because you all obviously don't understand what is going on here with Max. So back off listen to a girl for once; this is a girl thing. And you can't control me here Sam." I glared at him and he glared back before following the younger ones-Seth, Collin, and Brady-to his house. The rest of the Pack followed til it was just me and Max.

I leaned her up against a tree so that I could face her. I sat on my knees and looked Max in the eye-the only way she'll respect you is if you do that.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, plain and simple.

Max managed a weak smile. "I am now. I could feel he was dead but now everything feels alright with the world now, so he's alive."

I wasn't bothered by her reasoning; it made sense to me.

"OK." I sighed and looked down at my knees; I didn't know what to say anymore.

"Thank you," Max said and her voice rang with honesty and appreciation. "You helped save me not only from my own grief but from my guilt that the guys were putting on me. Though they're right it still hurt to have it confirmed."

I smiled at her. "I don't think they are-you did the only thing that seemed right, and that was to join him. I don't judge you for that-"

"There's a shocker." Max murmured. I ignored her aside from a scowl in her direction.

"-even though I should. But I understand. I understand how hopeless you felt and how you wished the world was playing some sick cruel joke on you. How you wished you could destroy reality and make it heaven again, like the old days…" I started to tear up, no longer really speaking about Max but me, and Max gave me a one-armed hug.

"It's OK Leah. I understand what you are saying or at least trying to say. You get it, you understand. That's enough for me. But I need you to understand something else too…" Max trailed off, looking into the woods.

"What?" I asked, curious.

Max looked me in the eye again and saw the need in her eyes. "I'm leaving. I need to find Fang, I need to find him _now_…" She almost groaned in desolation. "I need to be able to see his face again, to look into his black eyes and feel complete and happy and _safe_ again. I need to have the last piece of my family back. So I'm leaving to search on my own.

"It's not that I don't appreciate you guys helping me- on the contrary, I appreciate it more than you will ever know since I can't do that weird mind-connecting thing you werewolves do. I just…I need to be the one to find him myself. I want to be the one to first lay eyes on him after so long. My wings are all the way healed now, along with the rest of me, so I can fly and stuff again. I had been planning to leave and search alone before I felt…" He face was pained and I saw her quickly push those thoughts away.

"But I'm hoping you get it so I can leave now and find him a soon as possible." She begged me. Whoa, Maximum Ride begging, this seemed unlike her.

I nodded. "I get it Max. I have been in love before and still am. Go find him-I'll break it to the guys. I wish you luck from the Quileute werewolf pack." I gave her a big smile of encouragement and Max nodded and gave one right back.

Then I stood, pulling her up with me. Max took off both her sweatshirts to reveal a simple t-shirt. It had slits cut into it, revealing her wings. I gazed in amazement; they were beautiful now that they were fully healed, white with brown freckled spots on them.

"No matter what you say Max, I still think you're an angel." I told her, gazing jealously at her wings; they were beautiful and I wished I had my own so I could fly above the world and get lost in the winds.

"Well no matter what you say you're still a good eraser-like my brother-to me so we're even." She said.

Then she took off running, spreading her wings out behind her and jumped into the air. She started to fall at first but then her wings started flapping and she rose. And rose. And rose.

Max rose higher and higher til she was overtop the trees. I stood there, amazed, as she moved higher and higher. She stopped at the treetops and looked down at me.

"Goodbye!" I yelled to her, waving. Max waved back and then flew away til I could no longer see her.

I just stayed there and stared at the last spot I saw her when Jake's voice yelled out to me.

"Leah! What the hell are you doing just stand there staring off into space like an idiot. Did you forget want those big brown and green things in front of you are? They are called trees Leah; say it with me, T-R-E-E-S."

I turned and growled angrily at Jake. What a buffoon.

"I know what a tree is Jake! Now you better start running before I stuff a tree up your ass you asshole!" Jake started running and I chased after him.

"Bad girl Leah; ladies shouldn't cuss like that. It's bad manners." Jake said, still clearly mocking and running for his life.

"JACOB!" I screeched. "COME BACK HERE SO I CAN KILL YOU!"

(A/N- Ah, young love)

TPOV:

I swear karma is out to get me.

I've been in this refrigerator for over twenty-four hours. Once I heard the front door open and someone enter the house, but they went upstairs a good while ago and didn't come down for a while. The front door opened and closed again twice and from then on I've been all alone with the sounds of a man snoring upstairs. I was careful not to wake him.

I wasn't starving or thirsty, for God's sake I was in a fridge, but I was freezing. Man, theses things were cold. I think I'm going to get frostbite.

You better hurry Scholastic and come over here to see the first ever talking dog that got frostbite from a refrigerator. Oh, I can see it on the cover now.

What's really sad is that I'll probably die here. In a refrigerator. Due to my own stupidity. A REFRIDGERATOR!

You know, the more I think this over-and I've had plenty of time too-the more idiotic I sound and the more hilarious my situation seems to get. Only it's not funny right this second because I have NO WAY OUT!

I growled at the door, trying to will it open. I was so cold that I was afraid to fall asleep and my body was shaking constantly.

You know, this would be a convenient time for me to suddenly develop telekinesis. Sigh, I guess I can't mutate on will.

_Click, Click, Click._

I stopped internally cursing my luck while pacing and froze. I recognized those three clicking sounds. I had heard them many times when we needed to get past a door and Iggy would step forward.

Someone was breaking in. Or more correctly, robbers were breaking in.

It's really official now; _karma is out to get me_.

MPOV:

I was starving, tired because I hadn't flown in so long which caused the muscles to weaken, and I needed to know were I was now. A bathroom would be nice too, I really needed to pee.

A small house came into view and I recognized the police cruiser in driveway.

Charlie and Bella's house. I was at Charlie and Bella's house. And Bella is probably at the Cullen's place since I don't see that monstrous truck she drove …which means the Chief was probably sleeping.

This was perfect. And ironic. I was going to break into the Chief of Police's house because I had to use the bathroom.

I landed in there vast backyard, right in front of the trees. Folding in my wings but not covering them incase I needed to take off fast, I tip-toed to the back door.

As I unlocked the door I felt a bit of happiness that I had remembered to ask Iggy to teach me how to unlock locks before he died. I never thought of the skill to be useful to know myself until now.

Three clicks alerted me that I had successfully unlocked the thing and I smiled; this was too easy. The door creaked open and I closed it behind me incase someone saw.

I was in the kitchen. My stomach grumbled as my eyes zeroed in on the fridge. _Yummy…_

I yanked the door open in my haste and instantly my world went black.

And no, it wasn't that I blacked out and fainted from all the delicious food in front of me, my vision went black because some small black thing pounced on top of my eyes, hindering my sight to it's black fur.

"DIE ROBBER, DIE!" an oddly familiar voice came from the creature as it whisper-yelled at me. I had a sudden sense of déjà-vu.

"Ah! Get off me!" I whisper-yelled back. I grabbed the furry beast and threw it onto the floor before me.

My eyes had already adjusted to the darkness while flying so when I saw the tiny black Scottie-shaped mass growling at me from the tiled floor I gasped in shock and couldn't look away.

"No way…" I whispered in shock. He was alive. Another part of my family was alive.

The tiny dog blinked furiously and growled at me in warning.

"Total!" I nearly screamed. I tackled the mutant dog and squeezed him in a hug. He squirmed inside my hold as he tried to breath. I let go reluctantly.

"What the-Max? Max!" Total cried out in joy and I saw tears stream down the dog's face. "I thought you were dead! I couldn't find you or Fang and I just assumed…And now you are here and I'm not alone anymore and I'm out of that damned fridge!" he was yelling by now and both of us immediately shushed realizing our mistake. A groan from the upstairs bedroom confirmed our fears.

"Out Total-now!" I whispered and we both bolted out the door. I swung it behind us, stopping it for a second before shutting it so that it made no noise. I then proceeded to leap into the air, happy that I had left my wings out, and started flapping. I grabbed Total in my arms and went high enough to where I could be seen.

Total was crying excitedly in my arms, murmuring, "I'm out of that damn fridge. Max saved me; just like she saves everyone." over and over again.

"Total? It's OK, I found you and you're out of that f-wait, why were you inside a stranger's refrigerator anyway?" I asked him. Confused didn't even begin to describe how I felt.

Total shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I was stupid when I broke in and well…I got trapped." Total did the dog equivalent of a blush and I laughed at him. More like exploded laughing at him; I was laughing so hard tears filled the corners of my eyes.

"Hahahahahaha, Total, you got stuck inside of a-"

"I know you idiot now hush now, you can laugh your head off later. He's coming outside-fly, fly!" Total commanded.

Usually I would of kicked the mutt for telling me what to do but I was to preoccupied with the sound of the back door-left unlocked my _moi_-and the grumbling about a 'stupid burglar'. I'm offended, I didn't take anything except my mutant dog and if I was a dumb burglar I would have stayed around for you to arrest me.

We made our way over the town til I found the high school. _Perfect._

I landed in the football field and folded in my wings. I then looked at Total. He looked back at me. And then-

"Eew, eew, EEW! Gross Total! No matter how many times you do that it will be gross!" I wiped Total saliva off of where the tiny Scottie had licked me. Nasty.

"Sorry Max; I'm just so excited to see you! Hey, if you made it then did Fang make it too? Where is he; and where were you? I couldn't find you in that forest and I spent two days searching! W-" Total suddenly cut off on his own, right when I was about to do it for him. I gave his horrified expression a curious and worried glance til I noticed what he was looking at.

My neck.

"Total, please, calm down. I'm OK, I'm OK, I'm alright now. Please." I don't know what I was asking him only that I was. I think it was forgiveness.

"You-" He cut off his air, his voice and expression showing he was unable to speak at the moment. Total closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself, but it was all wasted when he opened his eyes again and saw the ugly red ring across my neck.

He looked away from me, from the mark. "You did this." It wasn't a question.

I looked away myself; I couldn't stand the judgment in his tightened eyes. "Yes; I had no choice."

I never had a choice when it came to Fang. I didn't want one either. He would always be my soul mate; even the Voice could not deny that. Me and him together were more destined then me saving the world; and more important.

I don't think he understood. "There is always a choice." He said. His voice was quiet like mine.

"Not in this case." I told him. "He was never a choice; he never had to be. He was already my choice before I consciously made it."

"I know he was. But that doesn't mean you had to-"

"Yes is does. That's exactly what I had to do."

"I should have been there to stop you. Who was it that did?" When had this conversation gotten so serious? First thing we were celebrating being reunited and now we are discussing my almost-suicide.

"A pack of friends. They found me afterwards."

"That explains why I couldn't find you. And this line on your neck explains itself; I guess suicide runs in the family, or Flock." His words made me flinch along with him, but he hid it better. The moon glowed in the sky and let off rays into the field around to two of us, bird-human and dog.

"Sorry." He said.

"Sorry." I replied back. Silence filled the air as we both got lost in our thoughts.

"So, since you're still alive than Fang must also be alive." Total asked, trying to sound more cheery. We both knew the answer to this question immediately; yes. If I hadn't felt the world under my feet again after they got me down then I would have found a way to die; there would have been a way.

I gave a tiny smile. "Well, I'm alive so what do you think?" Total grinned back.

"I'm thinking we have another lost brother to search for." He barked happily.

"Nope; not a brother." I told him, shaking my head. "A lost lover."

The moon set the world inside a loving glow of white light while me and Total laid inside the trees and caught up with the afterwards.

How loving. I personally liked how I moved this chapter from suspense and sadness to comedy to happiness, seriousness, and finally kinship. Total and Max are reunited, so what about Fang? Remember this chapter started from when Fang was dead to his waking up to after that and into the next morning (the last sentence implies that they stayed that way all night, meaning we will catch back up with them in the next morning-maybe.).

Now, I must inform you that my Football team lost (we got creamed; the other team had 7 points within 3 minutes of the 1st quarter) but I had a great time.

By the way, me and my sister Araia (Emo Skittlez) were talking and she said she could be a rapper. I laughed in her face and told her that the only type of rapper she could ever be would be a candy wrapped. She just scoffed at me and said she could rap. Ah, my crazy life; my family should be on a reality show, we're over half as funny as most idiots on those TV shows.

Now, tell me if you noticed the quote that I put in this story. Read carefully and if you can find it tell me what it's from. I'll give you a hint; it was from a piece of writing by either James Patterson or Stephenie Meyer. Anyone who can tell me what story and/or book it was from and who said it will get mentioned!

Want a preview of the next exciting chapter to come?

And next time, on _Reunited_…

_I flew over the world, and my eyes saw everything._

_The sharp blades of grass tangled up in one another and knotted with moss, there green exteriors covered with tiny water droplets. A fox coiled to spring on a branch of a tree, it's black-tipped ears and white-tipped pointed tail poking out, and it's red glossy fur hidden well by the thick ivy-covered branches. It's icy blue eyes were focused on the grey rabbit below it with animalistic determination. A wild strawberry bush, full of fresh fruit and surrounded by deer tracks. Some of the red fruit had bite marks on them. It was the perfect time for picking them it seemed, for these were ripe as can be. It reminded me of the day Angel wanted to go pick strawberries._

_But that was all. I saw the natural, I saw the unnatural, and I saw nothing more._

_Max was nowhere within my sight, nowhere within this forest._

_Will I ever find her?_

Sing-Along Time! Sing it with me now!

_Hella Good by No Doubt (I'm warning you now I've recently had a mild-or not-obsession with them and Britney Spears)_

_Don't Speak by No Doubt_

_Hey Baby by No Doubt_

_Sunday Morning by No Doubt_

_It's My Life by No Doubt_

_Spiderwebs by No Doubt_

_Circus by Britney Spears_

_If You Seek Amy by Britney Spears (have you found out what it means yet?)_

_Toxic by Britney Spears_

_Womanizer by Britney Spears_

I told you, obsessions.

~Sweevil Out!


	11. Fear of Flight

Disclaimer: I otd'n wno nayghtin! (See if you can read that. If you can you are smarticle!)

A/N- Hey, it's Sweevil. I want to first off say that yes; I DO support Leah/Jacob. I got a review about that so I just wanted to make that clear for everyone. And amazingly, **girlreadsalot** got it right on the first try! Go girl!

And I want to apologize for the wait. We had another football game and we CRUSHED THEM! We also hosted a band competition but since we were hosting we didn't get any awards. We rocked though; we were the exhibition, which basically means we show off and make all the other teams know that we beasted them!

Sigh. Band (and Fanfiction) is like marriage. Once you get in it takes up your life til you have none and it takes forever to get a divorce. But I love them both, so that's OK.

Also, these two boys (have I mentioned them already? I'll tell you anyway) they believe I am basically psychopathic. All I did was break one little pen and suddenly I'm out to kill every body in band class. Though, telling them all of my crazy summer camp stories and saying I would kill the Tenor Saxophone player who calls me an exorcist and who I call beiber might add to that…Anyway, they claimed I poisoned the cookies my mom and I made for to sell at the competition (apparently it's a huge fundraiser 4 my school) and refused to eat the ones I gave them for free. But anyway, that's my band class, or at least the drama of the saxophone section. Let me tell you, what happen in the band room (or on the band bus) STAYS in the band room (or bus).

Also, my best friend Kaylin came over and spent around ten minutes with mom, Araia, Karisa, and me. And then deemed us all as the most hilarious family she has ever known. And she hadn't even met my dad (or my mom's best friend Margo and her 2 kids) yet.

FPOV:

"On the contrary Fang, you are the one who has some explaining to do." Edward counteracted and I swore quietly under my breath.

"Shit." I muttered. I guess I can't hide anything now…

I tried to find the best way to explain these things without giving it all away. Then I realized the best way was to make a deal. I gave the Cullens and Bella my signature smirk.

"Fine, I'll tell you everything if you tell me everything." They all caught the meaning behind that last word and immediately Barbie Doll started to spit and hiss furiously.

"No freaking way you little punk! WE were the ones that saved YOUR pathetic life; we don't have to tell you a WORD!" She hissed. I always disliked her.

"Rose, calm down. Alright Fang, we'll agree to your terms to make it fair." Carlisle said. Rose and Jasper hissed so quietly that only people with super hearing could hear it.

"I heard that," I muttered at the same volume.

I took a deep breath. It was time to do more talking than I ever had before in my life.

"I'm-" I began.

"You're an angel right? Am I right? I hope I am; that would be amazing!" the Alice girl squeaked before I could get a full word out. I frowned- how ludicrous, an angel-and started again.

"Nope, I'm not an angel," Alice's face fell. "I don't-didn't even believe in God." Until now, I silently added.

"I was stolen from my parents as a baby and used as a recombinant-DNA experiment. I've never found them. But basically, evil whitecoats-scientists-mixed up my DNA to where I'm 2 percent bird and 98 percent human. That means I have wings, obviously. There were six of us, Max, me Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel…"

And I went on and on and on. I talked constantly aside from a few questions the Cullens had. Carlisle and Bella seemed the most curious out of everybody. Rosalie didn't glare or hiss at me after the first sentence about me being kidnapped and Jasper stopped after I told them about the tortures of the School and the hardship we had faced. Esme cried as I told them about all the deformed children and Alice gave me understanding looks when she found out we had never had a 'normal' life. Edward tried to cover Bella's ears on the fighting and death parts but Bella didn't stand for it, moving his hands away and listening with wide eyes. She seemed beyond interested whenever I mentioned Max, like she was trying to think of something but couldn't remember. Carlisle looked disgusted at all the medical stuff and the tests we had to do, though his curiosity kept the man from totally hating the information. Edward was beyond amazed at our powers, especially Angel's. I think he felt a kinship with the mindreading little girl so I guess he was the mind reader.

I told them everything from how I saw it; my childhood at the School, meeting all of the Flock for the first time, Jeb rescuing us, being on our own, Angel's abduction, New York, Virginia, Florida, the football game in Texas, the 'incident' at Max's mom's place (all the girls awed at that while I blushed the tiniest bit and the guys snickered, flowed by the girls hitting them; Rose and Alice both hit Edward for Bella, not wanting her to break her hand or something like that.), being at the School again, the separation, being reunited, and finally the explosion. All of them glared at air when I described Omega to them, so I'm guessing they knew something I didn't. Bella wasn't the only one crying when I told them about my discovery but she was the only one with actual tears coming out of her eyes. Everyone else besides Esme, Bella, and Emmett looked a little guilty though.

"…and then I saw you six leave the house and thought 'perfect, it's empty'. Then I broke in." I took a deep breath again, my voice not use to being used so much. It was almost sore.

They all just stared at me, still processing the information. Then Bella frowned at me and asked-

"The girl you love is Max, am I not right? She is your best friend and you love her."

I blinked. Well, so that's the first thing she says. Not, 'OMG I feel so bad for you' or 'how have you survived for so long, poor thing'. No, it's, 'The girl you love is Max, right?' I was slightly shocked that this was all she picked up as the mural of this funny little story. Not, 'don't experiment on people, it's not nice'.

I nodded, knowing I could never deny it now; she had saved me anyway, from death nonetheless.

"Max, Max…" Bella trailed off, clearly in thought. I ignored her and turned to the leader, Carlisle.

"Well I told you my part, now tell me you guys' stories." I said. I had to clear my throat because it was really sore. God, I don't know how Nudge could do it, talking constantly all the time; I'd go mute.

Carlisle actually looked sheepish. "We're vampires." He said simply.

Shock. That was it. Completely and utter shock.

I was use to surprises in life. I tried my best to take them in grace and not let people know they could catch me off guard. But freaking vampires! Even I'm not a mythical creature.

I raised my eyebrows an inch and my eyes widened the tiniest bit. Basically this is my way of saying that they had nearly knocked my socks off.

Jasper raised an eyebrow at me, as if amazed by something.

"Vampires?" My tone was normal, as always.

"Yep," Alice said, peppy as always. "It's a shame your not angel-that would be amazing. I guess mutant freak works though."

"Alice!" Esme reprimanded.

"Sorry," Alice muttered shamefaced. Her joyful attitude came back instantly and she bouncing in place again. "I'll get you some food, come on Esme, Bella. We'll cook since the guys would probably burn the house down, again." Alice glared at Emmett and Jasper who looked like they should be blushing, yet weren't.

"Sorry Shorty," Emmett muttered.

"I apologize honey," Jasper said quietly, his voice having a southern accent.

"Honey?" Was there some kind of brother-sister loven' going on here I didn't know about? If there is I'll not only be out of here in a heartbeat and scarred traumatically with a need for intense therapy for the rest of my life, but my respect for vampires will definitely drop to level of respect that I have for unicorns.

Jasper laughed, seeming to sense my confusion. "We all aren't really related. I'm actually about sixty years older than Alice." He said. Jasper laughed again.

"And that helps how?" It was still gross in my opinion-like Iggy and Nudge. They had seemed to like each other but an eleven year old with a fourteen year old? The neighbors would call the police, claiming pedophile.

I laughed quietly to myself, a tiny chuckle, and the vamps looked at my oddly.

"What?" Alice asked. I shook my head. The girls aside from Rosalie left the room.

"So please, explain this vampire thing to me." I asked, trying to be polite.

"Well," Carlisle began. "We are all animal blood drinkers, so don't worry." Like that will help me not worry-I'm part bird!

"We, like you can see, are exceptionally pale and have red-for human blood drinkers and newborns - or golden - for animal blood drinkers - eyes, are super strong, super fast, and have elevated senses." That reminds me of someone…

"We tend to 'sparkle' in the sun instead of burn in it, and can't sleep." Still, I feel the memory coming back…

"We also don't age and can't die except when torn and set on fire. Though our emotions are doubled in power, along with our instincts and intelligence." Uh-huh. Keep talking; this is reminding me of…Omega!

"Omega." I whispered in shock. He was a vampire!

I thought back to my memories of the fight. I remembered Max calling Omega GlitterMan because he seemed to resemble a disco ball in the muted light. And his speed and strength were beyond what I had expected it be.

Plus his emotions! He had somehow acquired emotions, and maybe even some kind of soul, when he had gotten his improvements. And his 'improvements' were being changed into a vampire!

Carlisle nodded sadly. "I noticed that from your story. Yes, I believe your Omega was a vampire. Though, how an experiment like that could be changed is a mystery to me-he was supposed to be dead, wasn't he?" I nodded.

"This is all very interesting but I believe your food is ready." Edward said. We all nodded and went downstairs.

"The steak is ready! I hope you like steak, baked potatoes, and rolls." Esme said happily. I thanked her and began to eat my food.

The thing about dying is that you're starved for food afterwards. I stuffed the food the same way as before and the Cullens respectfully looked away, seeming to realize that it made me uncomfortable to have them gawk at me while I eat. Rose still gave me disgusted looks though-but that's part of life.

I finished quickly. "So, I know you guys have extra powers like me because I feel one of you trying to enter my brain and read my thoughts. Who is it?" I said. Way to get to the point Fang.

Edward looked shocked. "How do you feel it when I read your thoughts? I know Angel was a mind reader too but how do you sense that and then block me out?" He seemed honestly curious and frustrated by this fact. I grinned-I knew it was him.

"I literally grew up with a mind reader; of course I know when you are entering my mind. As for the mind block thing, I just build up a mental wall with my brainpower that pushes you out. It's kind of like when people purposefully block a memory from their mind. It's still there, but the shear willpower of the person has prevented it from being accessed."

Carlisle's eyes were lit up with the knowledge and Emmett had a mischievous look on his face that made me fear for my physical well being. Edward gave him a look that said 'don't even think about it' but Emmett ignored his brother.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Emmett asked me. Edward growled at him.

"Please don't," Edward literally begged me. "You don't know the kinds of trouble this idiot would get into if I didn't know his thoughts 24/7."

Emmett grumbled under his breath. "Well Bella can't teach me her little trick, so Fang needs to teach me his. Otherwise, how will I keep you out of my thoughts when me and Rosie have our alone time?" Edward cringed visibly and I tried very hard not to think of the obvious meaning behind the words 'alone time'.

Bella gave me a sympathetic look. "Don't worry-none of them are really related to each other, they just love each other like siblings, aside from their mates." She whispered.

"Hey, I don't see how you think it's so weird. You said you loved Max like a sister before you fell in love with her. How is that so much weirder than us?" Emmett said, teasing.

I shook my head to clear it. "I just have the fake story implanted in my head about you all being related in some way or another. From that point of view, it's completely creepy. But from reality, it isn't. Sorry." Whoa, how many times in my life had I said sorry? Less than Max.

The Cullens all smiled at me in forgiveness. Then Emmett got excited again.

"So will you teach me?" He was jumping up and down liked a child on a sugar high and Alice was doing the same thing-she seemed excited for all the chaos that was to come from me doing this. Edward groaned for some reason.

"Ah…I guess it couldn't hurt too much." I mumbled. Edward groaned again.

"_Yes!_ Woooooo-hooooo! Watch out Eddy-boy, soon I'll be private mind Emmett! Woooo! Me and Bella will be silent mind buddies!" Emmet cheered and roared in celebration while Alice danced around in happiness with him. Carlisle and Esme shook their heads like amused parents and Rosalie and Jasper just laughed at Edward's expression of misery and grief. Bella rubbed him arm soothingly, trying to calm him by reminding him that there were times when avoiding Emmett's thoughts were a good thing.

I looked at Bella. "Tell me now how bad of a mistake I have just made."

"A very _very_ bad one. Do you realize you just destroyed the world with the power you are about to give this annoying big brother of mine?" She said. I blinked at the word brother but didn't say anything; I was over this sibling-lover stuff by now.

"Oh come one little sister, you know you want another person you can't get their mind invaded by you boyfriend." Emmett teased.

"Oh course-that's why Fang is still here." She shot back with a victorious grin. Emmett pouted while the rest of them snickered. I strengthened the mental shield just to humor her.

"I'm offended." I muttered, playing along for once. I think I was really starting to fit in with these Cullens oddly enough.

Everybody broke out into laughter and soon I was smirking at my skills- yeah, I was such a joker that I should join the circus. 'Most Hilarious Mutant Ever'. I would get millions.

As their laughter went back down my mind traveled to where it always did- back to Max. A need to see her face, to hold her in my arms and feel her body against mine and her soft yet powerful arms around me, grew inside my body. I needed to find her now. No more distractions. No more hesitations. Just a full on search-til-you-find-her session.

Bella saw the determination on my face and smiled at me. "Max?" She asked simply. I nodded.

"Well then, let's find her." She said. "Can you remind us of what she looked like again, so we know what to look for?"

I nodded. "She has brown hair that's lighter than Bella's color with sun-made blonde streaks all through it. She'll probably be tanned like me because we spend so much time outside. You vampires should be able to see the scars on her skin like you can probably see mine, but one in particular is a ragged scar on her left upper arm from the beach incident. She has brown eyes and is tall, like 5'9'. Clothes could be anything by now, but she'll be wearing something to cover her back like a jacket or sweatshirt."

As I described Max to them, Bella's eyes got that look from before again. Edward seemed as interested in why she looking at nothing in particular like I was. Her eyes became unfocused for a second before they snapped back to reality and she cried out in shock.

"What?" Edward and I instantly yelled out.

"I saw her!" Bella screamed. "The girl who freaked out and attacked me at Sam and Emily's house while Fang was out of it! It was Max!"

Everybody was shocked to say the least, and I looked at Bella desperately. "Are you sure?" This was too good to be true.

"Yes I'm sure. She introduced herself as Maximum Ride, so I couldn't make the connection. But when you described her, I knew I was right and it was her!" Bella was ecstatic that she had found my lost Flock member, but a question rose in my mind.

"Bella, who are Sam and Emily?" All the vampires immediately got frustrated looks on their faces and I couldn't help but look curiously at them.

"Sam is a werewolf and Emily is his fiancée." She told me. Her face became upset as she realized this.

"A werewolf!" I yelled in shock. What the hell? Weren't vampires enough for one world to handle- they had to add the Wolfman's extended family into the mix too?

"Uh-huh." She said, and Edward moved a little closer to Bella, looking very protective. I just stared at her.

Seeing a pack of werewolves would immediately make Max's mind jump to one of two things: Ari or the School. Because to her point of view-and mine if I were in her situation-that's what a werewolf would seem like; just another Eraser improvement.

_I bet she fought them and kicked their furry asses into next week,_ I thought with a smirk. That would be just like Max.

"It didn't seem like the wolves were cruel to her, she actually seemed comfortable there. I wonder if they knew you guys' secret." Bella pondered out loud.

I blinked. That would be just like Max. To find a way to give the secret away and feel comfortable around giant wolves. Then again, her half-brother was an Eraser and she got along with him before she even knew they were related. That girl could find a way to feel both comfortable and uncomfortable in any situation.

"If they know her secret, then can't we just go to them and get her? Would she still be there?" Esme's first question was to everyone but her second one was to me, since I was the one who knew her the best.

I looked at Bella. "How long ago did you see her there?"

Bella frowned, calculating. "A few days ago." I immediately shook my head.

"No chance; Max doesn't stay in the same place for too long. If she's moving she's probably healed by now and flying around looking for me."

"Well then," Bella said with a smile on her face. "I guess we'll just have to meet her. How hard can it be to find one flying bird girl anyway?"

About three hours later we realized just how hard.

It was early afternoon and we had separated into groups with Carlisle roaming the hospital and other medical facilities, Bella was at the police station, Esme was searching around the town, and the rest of us were roaming the woods again. With me now here we had a better chance at finding them.

To bad nothing continued to turn into nothing as time moved on.

My wings could fly again, though I had to take it easy. Every once and a while I would land and rest, plus I had to stay within certain speeds, but other than those little things my wings were healing so fast even I was amazed. Ignoring the pain of when I forgot to stop, I searched endlessly.

As I flew over the world, and my eyes saw everything.

The sharp blades of grass tangled up in one another and knotted with moss, there green exteriors covered with tiny water droplets. A fox coiled to spring on a branch of a tree, it's black-tipped ears and white-tipped pointed tail poking out, and it's red glossy fur hidden well by the thick ivy-covered branches. It's icy blue eyes were focused on the gray rabbit below it with animalistic determination. A wild strawberry bush, full of fresh fruit and surrounded by deer tracks. Some of the red fruit had bite marks on them. It was the perfect time for picking them it seemed, for these were ripe as can be. It reminded me of the day Angel wanted to go pick strawberries.

But that was all. I saw the natural, I saw the unnatural, and I saw nothing more.

Max was nowhere within my sight, nowhere within this forest.

Will I ever find her?

"Sure you will. It's just a matter of time and perseverance. Trust me; I know." Edward's voice came from the mossy trees directly below me and I looked down to see his bronze hair and golden eyes. When I looked at them I couldn't help but instinctually react to how alien they were, how inhuman. But alas, he smiled at me in understanding and for a moment he looked like any other human.

"That's good; with all of these thoughts about how obviously different I look from humans, it's good to know I can fool you sometimes." Edward chuckled. He was echoed by Emmett's booming laugh behind us.

I had been keeping my mind block down as we searched so that Edward could locate me at any moment and tell me when someone found something important. Also, it was an unofficial sign that I trusted the Cullens enough for them to know my thoughts, though I blocked out some things.

"Good because trust me, I don't always want to know what some people are thinking." Edward said the disgust from previous experiences obvious in his tone of voice.

"Hey!" Emmett shouted, clearly knowing what he was talking about. The two of them had been grouped together but even though I had not wanted a group but to go solo I had ended up going the same direction they had.

What a nice little arrangement, huh?

"I wasn't talking about you Emmett, at least not completely." Edward said with a chuckle at Emmett's expression followed by a scowl at the unpleasant memory.

"I don't even want to know." I muttered as I flew ahead of them. We had steadily been making our way closer to the town since the areas of unsearched forests were dwindling down. I had guessed that she was staying in some vacation house but the guys assured me none of those existed here.

We continued on towards town til we were running through backyards and gardens. We had to be careful-some people where home this week even though it was Spring Break for every one who had to go to school and the sun was shining in Seattle. But aside from avoiding a few houses we ran straight forward with few turnarounds.

I was flying when I saw a familiar car in a certain driveway. A rusty red truck.

We were headed towards Bella's house. Edward moved ahead of me, speeding up with unease; he was probably nervous about the last time Bella and Max met. Max basically beat the crap out of her.

Of course it was to be expected; Bella had called Jacob, her werewolf friend, and asked him about Max and he replied that she left yesterday night after an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

I had freaked at that. No, freaked wasn't a strong enough of a word to express how I felt when I found out that Max had tried to kill herself at the same time that I was dead and being judged in heaven and that they had just barely saved her right after I had woken up.

I had talked to Leah, a werewolf who claimed to be Max's friend. She said that Max claimed she felt it when I died and only stayed alive because she felt my 'life energy come back' or whatever Leah called it. The Cullens didn't understand it the way it was worded but the message was clear in my head. She was like me; she felt like the world had fallen from beneath her when I died even though she wasn't even physically there to witness it herself.

I know I would feel that way. In my worst nightmares where Max had died I had felt that way. Like there was no real ground to stand on, like everything had ceased to exist and the universe was gone away, leaving me with no supports to lift up the despair from capturing my heart. Only seeing her face in the morning had made me feel better after those particular nightmares.

So I knew what condition Max would be in. She would be desperate to see me and know that her gut feelings were right; that I was alive.

I was a little sympathetic to Jasper; Max's feelings could be crazy at moments, so he was in for a handful when he met her.

"Oh, Jasper will love that; another person on an emotional rollercoaster." Edward said sarcastically from in front of me as we entered Bella's backyard. I had never seen her house before and it was appealing, I guess. I wasn't really a master of architecture and when it came to the housing market I was at a loss.

But it was cute.

As we entered Edward and Emmett immediately stopped, smelling the air. _I_ didn't have a freaky dog-like sniffer in the middle of my face so _I_ couldn't smell what they smelled.

"I think I smell her. And something else too." Emmett said. I was immediately filled with hope.

"Max?"

"Yep, she was here," Edward said. My eyes must have lit up like a kid's on Christmas with the hope in them. "But there's another smell too mixed in. It smells like…dog."

"A werewolf!" I said in shock. What was a werewolf doing here? They all swore they hadn't seen her since early last night.

"No…an actual dog. Do you guys have any pets?" Edward asked. I held in a gasp of shock as I realized who could somewhat qualify as a 'pet'.

"Total…I thought he was dead. I guess I was wrong. He found Max." Even though I never found his body, I always assumed he was dead. I mean, what else could have happened to him? But he had lived and, in turn, found Max first.

For a moment I felt infinitely jealous. The talking dog got to be with Max before I did. I had wanted to see Max first and one tiny black talking dog had hunted her down before I did. He got to spend time with her and see her face and listen to her talk and yell and laugh.

What did this say about my search attempt? Not much.

But at least she had company. She had probably found Total after leaving the wolves since they didn't mention any talking dogs; at least she had company. And Total would surely chew Max out about how stupid her suicide-I had trouble just thinking the word after the last few days-attempt. And that would be just a small scolding compared to just how ready I was to explode the girl, you know, _after_ I hug her to death.

"Where does the trail go?" I asked them. Edward frowned.

"Up."

All three of us stared upwards at the sky. It was cloudy as usual today but clearing up slightly, though no direct sunshine was released just yet. I frowned at the possibilities of where Max could have headed in the dead of night.

Which is basically anywhere when you're considering an endless sphere of nitrogen, oxygen, and any other number of gasses that span about a hundred or so miles above land.

"Ugh, this is going to take forever!" Emmett groaned like a child. Edward frowned.

"No it won't," I told them, an idea coming. "You just have to look closely and…Edward, which one of you vamps weighs the least?"

APOV: (this is for Alice lovers!)

"No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no nooooooooooo!" I screeched at them. "I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE!"

"Ah come on Shorty, you'll love it. Unless your scared…?" Emmett teased. I wanted to rip his head off. 'Shorty' is going to have to show him a thing or two…

"Explain to me again WHY you want me to be flown one thousand feet into the air by a half-way healed birdkid again?" I demanded of my crazy brothers and the emo who came up with this idea.

"I'm strong enough to lift you. You have a good sense of smell. It's not one thousand feet. It's less. Don't worry." Fang and his oh so explanatory half sentences. After all the talking he did earlier though, I wouldn't blame him.

But still, I would be _hanging_ in the middle of the _sky _with only Fang's measly strength to hold me up. Oh, that was _comforting_.

Not.

You see, during me and Jasper's searching Emmett, Edward, and Fang had found us and said they found Max's trail, along with Total's. Fang had thought of this amazing idea; since Max had flown up into the sky where we can't sense her, Fang would fly one of us up into the air and that one would tell him which way those two went.

It sounded perfectly fool-proof to me-until I heard that I had been the one being volunteered to be carried into the sky like airmail.

"Why?" I whined. I had to admit I sounded pathetic but it didn't matter to me at the moment. I wasn't a freaking mouse that Fang the carrier pigeon could just pick up and carry into the air whenever they want to scare me.

And NO, I wasn't SCARED really…I had flown thousands of times…but then I was in a secure metal air plane and not being carried by a kid twice my height who had injured wings…

"I'm sure you'll be fine Allie. Fang will make sure you're safe." Jasper soothed. It was unlike him, but he approved of a plan that put me in danger.

Jerk.

"Alice, be reasonable. You aren't in any danger, you're a vampire for heaven's sake. And if you fall, something that I feel is very unlikely, Jasper will catch you." Edward said looking aggravated.

"Of course I'm aggravated, you are being beyond silly." He said, answering my thoughts. He gave a pointed look at Jasper who at the same time I also gave a very pointed-and angry-look. His head whipped between me and Edward, trying to decide which one he feared more; Edward's wrath or mine.

Jasper held up his hands in defeat. "I'm not included in this anymore." Smart boy.

"Alice," Edward glared. I glared back.

"Come on Alice, don't be such a whimp." Emmett said. "I bet you twenty bucks you won't go." His grin was cocky.

That got my ego going. This bet was easy to win; I just had to agree and then follow through. I didn't even need my visions to let me know who would win this one.

"You are on!" I yelled and walked right up to Fang.

"Come on emo boy, let's get this show on the road!" Fang looked at me incredulously at the emo comment but finally sighed and held out his arms. I jumped into them and he turned and began to run.

I was being jostled up and down-Fang was silent and graceful most of the time, but when taking off the kid just flat out ran and it wasn't very graceful. But seconds later Fang spread his wings and jumped.

With a grunt of effort he flapped his wings hard and soon we were rising higher and higher and higher. Fear, unlike I had ever experienced before, went through me as I saw my brothers and mate get smaller and smaller below us. The fear was unnecessary and unreasonable; there was no solid thing behind it, just plain unexplained fear. Even I realized that.

So of course my scream as I looked down was completely uncalled-for.

Fang winced beside me and muttered, "Geez, you're worse about heights than I would have guessed for someone who can't die. And you have a pretty good set of lungs on you." I frowned and tried to control myself.

Emmett chuckled from below, obviously hearing that comment. "Shut up Emmett." I growled at my brother's ability to find amusement in anything. He laughed harder.

I hung on to Fang tightly and even though he looked uncomfortable at me clinging to him for dear life like a girl in a horror movie, he let me. "Ugh Alice, I'd like to keep that arm in one piece." He told me looking pointedly at both my hands gripping his left lower arm. Oh, I guess that was what was making him uncomfortable.

"Oops, sorry." I apologized, letting go reluctantly. Fang let out a sigh of relief.

Then we stopped moving.

Fang began to slow the flapping of his large black wings to a steady rhythm that kept us up but wasn't enough to keep moving up. I could tell this was hard for him to do since only hummingbirds and helicopters can do this, and my added weight made it even more difficult.

"Alright, lets get this over with," Fang said. His voice had gone back to the quiet level I had heard from him the first day. "Take a sniff and tell me which way Max's scent is going please." Fang said the please even quieter than the rest and more hesitantly. I could tell words like 'please' and 'sorry' were uncommon for him to have to say. He seemed to say enough by just looking at you.

"Gotcha."

I focused and took a deep breath through my nose, trying to pick out the now familiar scent of birdkid from the air. I smelled Fang easily since he was the one holding me, but I also caught this unfamiliar yet sweet smell of bird and human mixed together.

It was female, I could tell that. Fang's scent was thick with the scent of the something that I would call woods and raven. But while this girl had a similar yet sweeter woodsy smell to her, she also had a sort of hawk smell too. It made a very strange yet nice combination together, like Fang's scent. The human and the bird seemed to mix perfectly where in any other case it would smell bad. Like their human scent was made to coexist with bird scent.

Then I got a noseful of something that smelled similar to a dog who hadn't had a bath, _ever_.

"Dear God! Jesus Christ, was is THAT? I swear to God I'm never going to be able to smell again! When's the last time you washed your dog? Ugh, that's nasty!" I swatted the stench away from my nose in an effort to clear my nasal passages of the reek while Fang laughed silently beside me and the boys laughed loudly below me.

Fang's body shook from his laughter and my fear of flying so high up with little support returned momentarily. I gripped his arm a little harder than necessary and Fang frowned at me slightly, stopping his laughter. I let my hands loosen again.

"Can you tell which direction they went?" He asked. I had never really looked this kid in the eyes before and the seriousness in his voice made me. I noticed his strange black eyes had golden flecks in them. They were quite beautiful; Max had chosen well.

I took another breath through my nose. Then I pointed west, farther into the town.

"That way; I'm positive." Fang smiled a half smile before beginning to descend. Again, I held on for dear life. When we landed Fang immediately let go and I leaped from his arms into Jasper's. He hugged me back.

"You'll pay for allowing this," I threatened him menacingly. He cringed as I conjured up the most frightening emotions possible. "Yes dear."

Oh, I soooo wanted to laugh evilly at this moment.

"Come on; I'll call Carlisle and the others and tell them to stop looking since we've found their trail. We'll just have to wait til they get here." Edward said, getting out the cell phone from his pocket and pressing the number two on speed dial.

Fang shook his head impatiently. "No time to wait; we have to go now!" He demanded before leaping into the air from a standstill-very cool-and soaring up into the air. He was gone in seconds, flying at speeds that Carlisle wouldn't recommend for someone still mending.

"Fang stop!" I yelled uselessly after him, but I was too late; he was gone. And he is a blind spot for me so I can't see his future. Dang-it!

"Should we go after him?" Emmett asked curiously.

"No; Carlisle said to wait til he gets there before we follow." Edward said.

"Hell to that!" I exclaimed, and dashed off after him.

"Alice!" Jasper called behind me but I didn't stop.

Because something deep in the pit of my stomach told me that something was wrong.

And you should never bet against me.

Ah finally. You all know how long it took for this to come out, but it was worth it; trust me. It will be coming up soon! And you know exactly what I'm talking about! (squeals happily)

Now, I won't be doing a preview since 1. I have nothing made yet and 2. I don't want to ruin the surprise! Reviews equal inspiration which equals faster chapters!

I'm by the campfire so let's sing our Campfire songs!

Gonna Get This/This Boy, That Girl by Hannah Montana ft. Iyaz (compared to some of her other songs, this is actually good)

Elcetropop by Rising Jupiter (Have I already done this? Oh well its good)

Gasolina (I think) by some Spanish speaking band who's name I don't know (I heard it at my summer camp and basically this girl like this guy's gasoline-can you figure out what that means?)

Sorry; there is nothing good on the radio anymore.

I Love You All!

~Sweevil Out!


	12. Fight and Seek

Disclaimer: *Dances around singing* "Turn me on mock-baby don't you cut me out. Saying; take my order cause your body like a carry out, let me walk it to you body til you hear me out, turn me on mock-baby don't you cut me out, turn me on mock-baby don't you cut me out." *stops singing and sees audience waiting for me to say the disclaimer* "Ugh…I don't own anything?" *sighs and begins to sing along with my friend's i-pod again.

A/N-OK, it feels like it's been forever but really it hasn't. I'm telling you now; I love to really get into my stories. This means starting with an idea crazy enough to be good, write out a few random parts flowing through my head, and then developing the complex plotline. It took me a while to develop this part and edit it to where it makes sense but leaves enough mystery in it to keep you on the edge of your seat. Hope you love the highly awaited 12th chapter of The Sacrifice of Life and Love!

Now, for some new problems and your reward for being continuous readers through the last few months (has it been two or more? Less? I don't know anymore.)

Unknown POV:

It was all falling into place.

I had my target in my sights. She was alone other than an unexpected but minor detail; a stupid dog that seemed to be mutated into having the ability to perform spoken language.

But vulnerable.

I prepared for the attack. The Administration had believed that Omega had eliminated the Flock, a group of rogue mutants we learned about after we took over the shredded remains of Itex. That was until me and my partner checked out the bomb sight and found two corpses missing aside from Omega's unexpected ashes. It was an unexpected outcome considering his improvements we bestowed on him so that he may succeed on this minor mission. Omega had been nearly dead when my partner had recovered him from the Germany Itex disaster several months ago and performed our own special version of revival.

Emergency vampirization.

It was a technique we used for about half of our experiments and agents. If you weren't already indestructible, then you were changed. We did this to create an undefeatable army-half vampire, half mutant.

Perfection.

I stared at the target, experiment 001 as it was labeled at the School, as I remembered all the information on this particular experiment.

She was the first of six extremely successful-much too successful considering all the trouble they caused Itex-human-avian experiments, including the legendary-when it came to extra powers-experiment 16. That one was dead though, so now she is just a legend.

The target preferred to be called Maximum Ride-I laughed quietly to myself-and her companions were called Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel. Her father is the scientist who was in charge of her experimentation, Jeb Batchelder. Her mother's name was never recorded by the company, something I personally find interesting.

She is approximately fourteen years of age and has the ability to fly at amazing speeds, has a voice of consciousness inside her head, can shut her organs down at will (A/N-SOF people! She shut herself down inside the isolation tank! I know I can't do that, therefore it's a power), and rumor has it she possesses amazing leadership abilities and fighting skills.

Well, we'll just have to see about that now won't we?

I was prepared to jump onto the girl when my heightened senses picked up on other life forms.

I looked and saw nothing.

I sighed silently. I was constantly paranoid; something my partner teased me about constantly. He enjoyed acting like the teenager he resembled. My partner was many years older then I was, but that's what you get when you are partnered with a vampire.

I sighed again. Why did I have to be the responsible one? Didn't fifty years of being sixteen mean you develop some sort of maturity?

"Twin, do you see the target? I repeat; Twin is the target in your sights yet?" A voice reached me from the communicator on my ear. I pushed some of my shaggy hair away from my ears.

I guess not.

Twin was my partner's nickname for me. (Twin is the nickname of this twin in my gym class. One day I saw Twin's twin and I called out to her and the conversation went like this: "Hey Twin." "Hey." *strange look from other girl* "Wait you aren't Twin!" "I am a twin." "No, I meant _Twin_." "But I am a twin?" *very confused look* "No. _Twin_. Get it? "But I am a twin. I have a twin sister." "Oh forget it." *I walk away*.) This was because there have been several versions of me, or 'twins'. We all looked exactly alike, but I was the most successful and advanced of all the versions. Therefore, I got to stay. The others were executed immediately-failures are not tolerated by the Administration or its partners.

"Yes Riley; I can see the target and are currently preparing to engage." Riley laughed at more formal way of speaking. He had grown up in the big city of Seattle and had never met someone as formal and oldies, as he called it, as me.

"Yeah well I got a visual too and I got to admit, she's something. What about you Twin; you liken' what you see?" Riley laughed again and I wanted to remind him that he already had a mate, but I knew he was just setting me up. He did that with every female target.

Though for once he was right. This experiment had soft looking brown hair that was heavily streaked with blonde, making it almost dirty blonde. Her brown eyes seemed intelligent beyond her years, and her expressions held great secrets. She was a beautiful mystery.

I quickly snapped out of it. I was here to destroy her, not take her out on one of those primitive human dates where humans go to random places for fun and converse with each other. This would usually end up with the younger adult ones mating.

I may have been a fifteen year old mutant raised by a high demanding cooperation, but I wasn't stupid. I was well educated in human activities, and I was sure this experiment was too.

So why did she pretend to be one of them? If she was so much better than them, then why blend in as if she was ashamed of her magnificence? She had wings; a majesty that should never be hidden from the world behind futile clothing.

I would never be able to do that, to hide. I was proud of my abilities and there was no reason to act like I was an equal to the unevolutionized beings whose populations dominated the Earth.

But not for much longer.

I looked back to where the target sat, in the middle of a man-made field used for sporting events.

She was gone.

"Target has disappeared. I repeat, visual is lost." I whisper frantically into the earpiece.

"What? What the hell made you lose a visual? I had to avoid getting spotted from my position in the cafeteria-janitors never worked Spring Break at my school-so I lost sight. Any idea where it went?"

I stared at the field. My deep thinking had distracted me and she had gotten away. I was so stupid. No, not stupid, just too intelligent for my own good.

And for her good. She won't live after I get her.

"No clue; we'll have to branch out. Go now!" I commanded. Then I took off.

FPOV:

I zoomed through the sky in the direction Alice had pointed. I just had no patience anymore; Max is my life and I must find her NOW.

I flew through the air towards what looked like a school when I sensed other people nearby. Years of paranoia people; it works miracles.

I immediately backpedaled and crashed very ungracefully into a tree. It hurt my wings a bit but it wasn't that compared to the stuff I've suffered before. Still, I'm not George of the Jungle and I don't want to be.

I managed to get upright again and land silently onto the ground through a thin space between branches. Immediately my senses went off-someone was here.

"Took you longer enough." Alice barked from behind. I flinched but refused to jump as I turned to glare at her.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed. Alice held her hands up.

"Hey, I couldn't see your future because of the avian stuff but I had a bad feeling. And I think it's a good thing I came because I smell vampire and it's not one of my family's friends." She said. I blinked; the equivalent of shock.

Someone else was here? And a vampire to add to that. The last vampire that I met, other than the Cullens, had inertly killed over half of my family.

Fury filled my body. I refuse to let that happen again. If I lose anymore than I will be left with nothing. And that will never, _ever_, happen.

"Where are they? I'm sure they are connected with Omega-I know they are. Now tell me which way this vamp is so I can rip this one to pieces like I should have done with Omega!" I growled angrily and Alice grabbed my arms and held me back as I attempted to march towards the school.

"Fang! Fang stop; you can't let this guy know you're here. Hush and we'll ambush him, OK?" She begged. I only think she was begging because I had been dragging her along the ground-something I'm sure she wasn't used to. I halted.

"Fine Alice, we'll do it your way as long as I get to rip this guy apart." I growled. The thought of Max being anywhere near another vamp was horrifying and I could never allow that. Not again.

Alice was sporting a hunter's smile. "Good; now follow me."

I had just one question running through my mind right then – how do you ambush a vampire?

I sighed-if there was a way, Alice would know it.

We creeped along towards the school, both of our footsteps silent. Soon we were in the bushes near the P.E. and cafeteria building. The two things were connected and from here I could see a pale face peering out of the blinds.

He was young but still older than me, about sixteen or so. He was muscular and tall for his age, though he could barely beat Max in height. His face was surrounded by short clipped hair that was a dusty blonde and his eyes were a vivid red.

Instinctually I glared and clenched my teeth together. He was a human killer.

Alice shushed me and I watched with tense eyes as the vamp frantically spoke into someone or into something. I really couldn't tell which. He looked angry and upset, like someone had lost his luggage on a plane. I struggled to hear and managed to pick up most of it.

"What? What the hell made you lose a visual? I had to avoid getting spotted from my position in the cafeteria-janitors never worked Spring Break at my school-so I lost sight. Any idea where it went?" He yelled. I couldn't hear any response but this was enough to get me suspicious.

"What are they talking about?" I whispered. The vamp's head snapped up and I froze in shock. He looked directly at me, his eyes looking straight into mine before his gaze swept the field, searching.

I blinked; how did he not see us?

Oh wait, I'm invisible-duh.

"Fang, where the hell are you? I can't see you!" Alice said so quietly that I could barely hear it. In my peripheral vision I noticed that Alice wasn't where I could feel her, beside me. I realized that I had turned invisible and apparently when I turned invisible my arm was touching Alice's-hiding in the bushes cramped together for all of you who may be questioning previously said/thought words- and she turned invisible too.

"We're invisible-I'm not used to doing anybody other than me, so I don't know what's going on. Now hush and listen!" I whispered back at the same volume. The vamp's eyes continued to sweep the field before he turned and disappeared into the school.

"Let's go." I whispered and the two of us crept silently to the school building. When we moved the invisibility fell off us both when we moved, like usual.

I held open the door and Alice slipped inside. As I held it open I saw a flash of blonde in the right corner of my eye, in the area of the field. My head snapped in that direction but I saw nothing there so I ignored it.

"Hurry up!" Alice's voice was so quiet that I barely caught it but when I saw her already down the hall I silently shut the door and quickly followed in her footsteps.

"Would it kill you to wait for one minute you annoying pixie?" I glared at her as we crouched behind an open janitor's door, both of us trying to see around it without getting seen by anything on the other side.

Personally, with all this whispering we were doing, there was no way the vampire didn't already know we were here.

Alice gasped and spun us both to where our backs were facing so quickly that I didn't have time process the figure before me for a minute. But after I registered his glowing red eyes, I knew exactly who it was.

I was right after all. He had found us.

The vampire smirked and I was literally seeing red with that one little smirk. He was done for now.

"Really, you didn't sense that til now?" I asked almost angrily as I fumed at the smiling vampire in front of me.

"So much for a sneak attack." I said sarcastically, and then lunged.

EPOV:

They paced and paced and paced. A constant line of blurred vampire raced side to side, over and over again as we waited for Carlisle.

"Jasper, will you quit already? I read Alice's mind before she and Fang got out of reach-everything is OK, she's just a little worried. Fang can be a bit hardheaded and impulsive at times." I said. Though from Fang's thoughts I had heard earlier on Max it sounded like I was describing her.

Well, they had to have _some_ similarities.

"But what if she was right to worry? What if she and Fang are in trouble and get hurt? She looked more than a little worried Edward! I'm seriously worried." Jasper was worried but had agreed that waiting was the best idea. Of course now I could hear second thoughts running through his mind. I would too if Bella had been the one to run off but if we kept moving and followed them then we wouldn't be able to tell Carlisle what had happened.

And sadly, we vampires were stupid enough to forget to charge our cell phones, so those were dead.

I mentally listened for the thoughts of Carlisle and was delighted when I heard him nearby. I head swung in his direction a second before the other two noticed and followed my line of sight. I sensed Bella wasn't there-Esme mentally informed me of staying at the station with her dad, who wanted to take her out for lunch. Fine by me-the less danger she was in, the better.

_There you are. We didn't find anything so I'm hoping for Fang's sake you did. Speaking of Fang, where is he Edward? Alice too, I see she's missing. And Jasper looks pretty worried-I feel this isn't good._

"In Jasper's opinion your instincts are right Carlisle," I told him as he, Esme, and Rosalie showed up behind him. None of them had found anything in their designated areas either. "But I feel differently. We found Max's trail and we wanted to wait for you guys so you wouldn't be in the dark but Fang was determined to go immediately. He left and Alice followed. She didn't want him to be alone. Don't worry-I'm sure they're fine, though I can't hear their thoughts anymore."

Carlisle nodded and Emmett went over to Rosalie and Esme and telling them about when Fang carried Alice into the air and she freaked out. They were all laughing in no time at Alice's silly ways, even Esme.

"Well, since we're all here, I say we go ahead and follow them." Carlisle said after all had been explained. Jasper looked and felt relieved and for a second I thought there was a solid reason behind his worry, but I quickly swatted that thought away-everything was fine, I was sure.

We began following their sent and I didn't know just then how wrong I was about that feeling of security.

FPOV:

Of course I should have known that if you just randomly attempt to tackle a vampire, you don't get very far.

I lunged at the nasty vampire in front of me but only grabbed air as he moved ten feet away from me and Alice. I quickly straightened up as Alice crouched and growled beside me. I glared at the red-eyed freak with all the force inside my body.

"Well, I didn't expect to be followed and assaulted on company business like this. It's quite an exciting surprise." The semi-crouched vampire, which appeared to be seventeen or so, laughed in a very teenagerish way at the situation he was in. As of it was amusing to him.

"Well I didn't expect to find someone breaking into my high school so I guess we're even." Alice said smoothly but I could see the fire in her throat, hidden behind the words. She was just as suspicious as I was.

And personally, I think she agreed with my mental plan to burn them first, ask questions later.

"Your high school?" The vampire asked in surprise. This looked like it was real surprise to me. "Well then-why don't you just let me leave and I won't kill you and your gothic friend."

"Gothic?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Well, gothic, that was a new one. I was used to emo-gothic just sounded weird. The vampire smirked.

"Maybe…if you tell me your name and reason for being here." Alice demanded. She didn't waver from her crouch one inch.

"'Names Riley." Riley said. That guy had an evil smiling problem, I could see it. "And my business here it hunting, obviously. I have to say that even though janitor isn't high on my menu, it still has the same great bloody taste." Riley smiled and laughed but I instantly knew he was lying. That smile was not to be trusted.

"Hunting, huh?" Alice asked. She was cocky. "I don't smell any blood in the area. You're lying." I tensed when Riley did, but he relaxed slightly with a smooth laugh. But my trained ears could hear some strain in his voice-he had been caught and was trying to cover it up. I didn't relax.

"Well, well, well. This is a sad predicament babe-for you. I guess I'm going to be forced to use force." He gave his teenage smirk that thousands of teens give their parents every day, and darted in our direction.

I barely had time to jump out of his way before Riley's fist flew inches from my chest. Shocked, he made the mistake of freezing at my ability to dodge.

"No way. He's human, isn't he, and humans can't…" He trailed off before Alice slammed her fist into the back of Riley's head. He flew, slamming and leaving a human-shaped hole in the wall.

I dashed to him and, just as he emerged and tried to race back to Alice, I slammed my fist straight into his face so fast not even the vampire had the time to avoid it. I then leaped back to avoid his counter kick.

Riley recovered and crouched, growling. Alice was standing with her eyes closed, a small smile on her face. She was now standing straight and on her tiptoes like a ballerina as I held up my fists for a fight, slightly crouched.

It was a temporary stand off.

Alice laughed. "You don't have a chance, Riley. You're outnumbered and soon to be outmatched. Soon, not even the most experienced lone fighter on the planet will stand a chance when my family gets here." Alice laughed again. I realized right then that her eyes were closed because she was seeing a vision of the Cullens joining us. And visions of what Riley would do next.

Riley growled, knowing she wasn't lying and that he was beat. Now for his painful death…

"Stay out of my way from now on, or I will actually _try_ to kill you two." Riley took a deep breath through his nose and, looking endlessly amused and laughing, turned to look at me. "Well isn't this the irony of ironies? Guess when I catch up your little birdie girlfriend I'll remember to tell her hi for you man. She'll love to hear that, especially when I kill-ahem, I mean eliminate her for the boss. You have a good day my feathered gothic friend." Riley shot like a bat out of hell, so unexpectedly that even Alice, who had an early warning, couldn't nab him fast enough.

I growled and gritted my teeth in frustration. He knew about winged mutants. He had caught my smell and knew I had wings, something only the wingedly educated can recognize. He was working for someone who knew about us and had demanded for Max's elimination. He was trying to kill Maximum Ride.

"Alice!"

"I got it! Follow me bird boy-we're in for a game of tag, vampire style." Alice shot down the hall and I followed her. I was pretty dog-gone fast if I say so myself, but vampires can beat us mutants by just a bit. So I couldn't catch up, but I could keep up.

We dashed out of the school with just a glimpse of Riley running to the football field to guide us. I pulled out my wings and launched myself into the air, shooting as fast as immediate takeoffs can carry me.

We chased Riley to the football field. Alice was faster than the blonde vampire and Riley had the chance to turn around and defend himself before Alice sent a rally of lightning punches to his face and torso, Riley blocking them all. I quickly realized, as I caught up and spied a lone pale feather with a single brown spot on the grass a few feet away from the fight, that Max had been here.

At that second I wanted to abandon Alice to fight and follow this new lead, but forced myself to watch to see if my immediate assistance was necessary.

Alice was keeping the barrage going, but Riley was a master at defense. He blocked every move, not like he could see it before she attacked but like his responses were fast enough and constant enough to throw Alice for a loop. Even I had no idea how he did it.

I circled as Alice finally jumped back and crouched. She hissed out "You can't just run coward. Have fun and play the game." to Riley before snarling and beginning to run in perfect circles around Riley.

I watched as a mini tornado seemed to appear, she was running so fast. I knew Edward was quick on her feet, but Alice wasn't no slowpoke either. She raced in circles that made me dizzy as Riley-for I was hovering right over where Riley was standing and could see him perfectly-whipped his head side to side as he tried to concentrate on where Alice really was. I realized she was confusing him.

I dived down at a 180 degree angle, aimed perfectly for the ground-and Riley. Riley looked up just as I flipped myself around from going headfirst to feet first, my body slamming into his as he flew right towards me; for when he instinctually tried to back away from my attack Alice had slammed her body into his, sending him forward.

I was lucky I didn't die on the impact, that my body was practically superhuman. For the force of my high speed double-footed roundhouse kick was enough for my teeth to slam into each other so hard I swear I'll have dental problems later in life and for my bones to feel like they were fusing together as they slammed into one another. Riley was forced into the ground and I felt the earth itself sink in at the power behind this fall.

Shaky and unable to stand at the moment, I began to flap my wings and was lifted up twenty feet into the air again, trembling.

_Never again, that hurt too much,_ I told myself

Alice looked at me with concern but I gave her a look that said shut up I'm fine. I heard groaning and turned to where Riley lay.

He was imprinted into the ground but was rising, shaking the dirt off of him like he had just tripped and fell from catching his foot in a gopher hole instead of being slammed into by a super powerful birdkid at 120 miles per an hour.

But I didn't feel very super powerful when Riley got to his feet. He shook the dirt out of his short blonde hair and smiled straight at me, barely hurt, merely winded. I wanted to cry out when he popped his shoulders back into place, only wincing slightly-I didn't know vampire's bones could get out of place.

But other than those tiny winces it didn't look like I had hurt the guy at all. I had just nearly killed myself to inflict the amount of pain on him that a flick on the shoulder would be to me-annoying definitely, but a little sting and it's over. Nothing major.

Riley laughed. "Like taking risks, huh bird boy? That was a pretty big one there. Lucky it didn't kill you-I guess I under estimate you mutants and half-breeds. That hurt too-really, I felt like a cannon ball had hit my stomach." Riley smiled though, so I felt furious all over again, and a little hopeless. "But nothing major. Nice try. Now leave me alone before I kill you and this pretty spiky-haired vampire chick for getting in my way. Sure I'll get in trouble for ruthless killing with the boss, but the guy won't kill me or nothing. Now back off."

"I thought the flying kick in the gut made it clear-you ain't gonna touch my Max." I snarled. Alice echoed me with fierce expression that made the girl look like a vampire for once.

"Ah, that's cute, but I can't play all day. See yah!" Riley shot in Alice's direction, who dodged out of his way when he threw his fist in the direction of her face, before shooting right under me and in the direction of the forest. I turned and shot after him as Alice tailed me.

Then we hit the woods.

You see, from what I can tell in the day or two the Flock spent in these woods, the forests around here are different from any other I've encountered. They're thick, wet, and completely green. The statement, 'every tree here looks the same' doesn't even begin to describe the similarity of every single piece of foliage in this place. Branches are sticking out everywhere and the trunks of these things are at least a hundred feet tall.

So basically, the woods surrounding Forks and the whole Seattle/Olympia area are impossible to fly through. It would be a suicide mission to try and maneuver a nineteen foot wingspan through a torture device like that. It would rip my wings off very quickly and painfully. So when I reached the woods Alice shot straight through while I did a last second 90 degrees skyward turn. I practically turned on a dime as I changed direction and soon I was over the tops of the tallest trees.

I shot over the roof of the forest, behind. Because of my perfect view of the forest floor-it was surprisingly easy to look down without something obstructing your view-I could see Alice tailing Riley like she had been me. Alice was only seven or so feet from Riley but he kept his lead well. She would gain a foot and then lose one, a constant flow like water intruding and retreating. It had a pattern to it and I could have watched for quite a while had I not have had to focus.

I slowly began to catch up since us birdkids can go as fast as or even faster than vampires when flying. Especially Max-she would leave any vampire in the dust with her sonic speed flying.

But he wasn't Max and he could only go so fast. I silently thanked God when it seemed to be fast enough.

Slowly I gained on the two vampires until I was at a pace where my wings were aching-not fully healed here, there _are_ limits-but I could faster if required. I could also see ahead, far ahead. That included the large diamond-shaped field a half a mile in front of me.

Perfect, I thought as I zoomed ahead. The pain in my wings increased, but I handled it. I reached the field and did a wide arching turn, my wings and body thanking me for not having to make a sudden jerky turn or stop.

I was soon facing the other side of the natural arena and began to fly, both hand curled into fists in front of me, in the direction that my enemy was soon to emerge from.

I didn't have to wait long. I was in the middle of the field when the two vampires emerged. Riley was constantly spinning around to block some approaching attack from Alice while Alice managed to stay out of harm's way every time harm decided to fight back. Both were distracted.

I let down on the speed. I realized that I needed to give Alice a chance to weaken him a little longer before I flew in. I made circles around and around, waiting for the perfect moment. All I needed was one chance and I could beat this sucker.

Alice was practically dancing with the guy, a flurry of fists and graceful yet deadly movements circling one another made the whole thing look like a ballet. With Alice and Riley as the stars, they skated around each other, both of them throwing and dodging attacks.

I had never known Alice could fight and there were no signs in her appearance that she could, yet it was obvious the girl had trained somewhere. No one can naturally grab another vampire's arms, force them behind his back as she placed a foot on his back also, and rip the left one off without some former training.

Riley howled in pain as I spotted the perfect chance.

Alice caught my eye and threw the arm back behind her, sending the appendage flying over the forest. I shot off after it, but my first goal wasn't the arm. Aimed at Riley and Alice, I twisted my body to where the tip of my right wing skimmed the ground and my left wing was full extended upward.

I passed right behind Riley's back before flipping back right-ways up, leaving a gust a wind following behind me. I then soared up over the trees and snatched the arm in mid-air.

I turned back towards Riley just as he sent Alice into a cluster of tree fifty feet away. Hovering and smirking, I held up my prizes-Riley's left arm in my left hand and Riley's ear piece communicator in my right hand.

Riley snarled in fury at my cocky smirk.

You see, while flying over Riley and Alice I noticed something metallic glinting off the side of Riley's head. I hadn't noticed til then that Riley had some sort of communicator on him. I had quickly realized that this was what he had been talking into and whoever Riley was talking to was just as evil and mysterious as Riley was. Whoever was on the other end was in on this too.

I just wish I knew was 'this' was.

Thankfully, I knew how to find out. Nudge had once used my laptop to help track down where several schools were. Basically, if you had a piece of technology, any kind of technology that was connected to a specific network on the internet, you could track down where that source was. After all, every super secret organization needs its own private satellite. Just get connected to that satellite and you can hunt down the location of anything else connected. Pretty simple, right?

Well apparently Riley knew that I could do just that with his communicator. That, or he was just pissed that I had his communicator _and_ his arm. You pick.

Alice cheered as she untangled herself from the heavy tree trunks on top of her and Riley glared at me with eyes like live volcanoes.

"I'm warning you bird boy, I'm going to kill you the second I get my hands on you." He warned.

"Don't you mean _hand_?" I mocked. Well Fang, just go ahead and poke the bear with a stick why don't yah?

Well if that sentence got on his bad side, this surely wasn't going to help. Like I cared, but I think I was going to get me on his I-am-_so_-going-to-kill-you side if I wasn't already there (I think I was). But it had to be done; I wasn't just going to _give_ him his left arm back.

I slipped the ear piece into my pocket and fished out a lighter. I wasn't a pyromaniac or anything, but after I learned you can kill vampires by setting them on fire I always kept one handy just in case.

This was a just in case. Flicking the cap open, I lit the thing and held it over the vampire's arm. It didn't take long-in enough time for Riley to cry out in anger his left arm was a pile of ashes that easily slipped between my fingers.

"No! _NO!_ You will pay for that Fang, you will pay very, _very_ dearly. I will sure you have your feathers pulled off one by one, you vile little bird!" Riley's red eyes were so red with anger it hurt my eyes and personally I was a little scared, but being the rock Max claimed me to be I just smirked at the murderously angry vampire-probably not the best idea-and said, "I'd love to see you try."

Yep, _definitely_ not the best idea.

Riley screamed in rage-I think it was pain driven-and charged right at me. I spun around and began to quickly gain height, but it was hard. My wings were still mending, like everyone has been reminding me all day, and had been pushed too their limit. Every upstroke felt like someone was ripping the muscle in my wings and after every downstroke it has hard to remember why I should go through the increasingly painful torture of flapping my wings again. Barely gaining ten feet I forced my body to work even harder when Riley jumped. He soared through the air so quickly and gained so much height I was starting to panic. Flapping as hard as I could through the exhaustion, I tried to get away as Riley came closer.

Closer, and closer, and closer, and closer, Riley soared in my direction with a frightening smile on his face…

Riley's smile disappeared as he flew just under me, his outstretched hand just barely missing my ankle as his fingernails scrapped against my shoe. He landed in the forest with an enraged snarl echoing behind him.

I let out a breath I was holding in as I hovered in place, awaiting his return attack. But I was surprised when it didn't come. Where was Riley hiding? I couldn't see through this section of the woods so I didn't know. Paranoia, my best friend, made me stay tensed for several minutes after I knew Riley was gone.

"Fang," Alice's voice came from below me, in the field. I immediately turned to her. She didn't look hurt, just scuffed up and covered in debris. Twigs stuck out of her spiky hair like they belonged there, blending in with her darker hair color. "Fang, Riley's gone. I can't see his future because it's disappeared-I don't know what that's about anymore since so many things are blind to me-but I can't sense his presence anywhere near here. After he couldn't catch you he ran off." Alice smiled her overly-excited smile. "I can't believe we ran him off though. That was awesome! Jasper never lets me fight-overprotective idiot-but that was pretty cool now that it's over and we're both still alive! I'll have to do that again…" Alice continued to blabber about how fun that was while I looked at the pixie vampire, wondering if she hit her head when Riley threw her into the trees and if her problem was curable. It might not be.

Then I remembered what Riley said he had been doing here in the first place: hunting down Max so he could kill her. Max was still in trouble, dang-it!

Of course my wings instantly gave out at the thought of staying in the air any longer and I quickly fell onto the ground. "Go!" I told Alice when she helped me up. Together, we managed to get me to my feet. I pulled in my wings as I set off running in the opposite direction we had came, yelling at Alice who stayed behind me. "Go back to where your family is and tell them what happened. Quick-I'm going to follow the direction Riley was running to get away. I think he was heading towards Max!"

Just as I entered the woods on foot Alice yelled, "She was going this way! I can smell her scent going in that direction! Hurry before she gets away again!"

I heard every word and steamrolled through the woods. No stupid trees would block my way to Max.

It didn't take long for me to hear something. I heard footsteps ahead of me and pushed my legs a little harder. _It's Max,_ I thought. _It's Max-I just know it._

I chased Max through the woods and slowly began to catch up. I could see a bit of blonde hair through the trees every once and while, fueling my adrenaline rush.

"Max!" I yelled. "Max, wait up! It's me, Fang! Stop!" It seemed useless; she didn't hear a word I said. If she had she would have stopped immediately.

I continued to chase Max through the woods when Max suddenly leaped into the air and spread her wings. Soaring so fast I didn't have a chance to see her at all, Max disappeared through a hole between trees and into the sky.

I tried to stop my body so I could follow but my body refused. I guess I was so tired I couldn't stop running, if that makes any sense. Skidding, I couldn't get my legs to shut down. They kept moving til I busted through the trees-and into someone. We both fell down in the direction I had been running with me on top of them.

Or more correctly, me on top of _her_.

I looked down at the girl under me and gaped openly, speechless. Finally, after so long…

"Get off me you asshole so I can punch you in the freaking face! I don't know _why_ you've been following me, but get _off_!" Well, that's some heartfelt words of reunion if I ever heard 'um. You can just feel the love, can't you?

"Max," I whispered. Max had been trying to shove me off with her eyes closed, which was why she didn't see me. What did she mean about me following her-I saw her fly off just a second ago! "Max," I repeated louder, but it was still a whisper. "Open your eyes."

Max froze like someone had shocked her and slowly, so slowly I wanted to yell at her to hurry up and _look at me already_, she opened her eyes.

Max looked at me like her wildest dreams had just come true. Her big browns eyes were full of such love that I wanted to cry my heart out.

"Fang," She breathed, her voice so sweet and beautiful when she wasn't murderously angry that tears actually formed in the corners of my eyes. Max's eyes began to well up too, her tears leaking out of the corners and down her dirt-covered face. She's never looked so beautiful.

And then, for that one moment, the world was perfect.

I promised myself I wouldn't cry but, yes, yes, _YES! _Finally, they are together again! Oh man, I feel so happy for Max and Fang…excuse me, I-I have to leave. *sniffles with joy and leaves the room before breaking out in heartfelt sobs of happiness*

Hope you enjoyed that! Next chapter will be full of more of the reunion, including Max, Fang, and some else's point of view-cough Total cough-and more of the Administration's agents. Who was Fang _really_ chasing? Can they really track down the headquarters of the Administration through Riley's ear piece? Will Jasper kill Fang for letting Alice be in danger? Find out in the next chapter!

By the way, who wants a preview? I know I do! I love rhyming!

_I ran as fast I could yet he kept up with me. My wings had tired out after only a bit of high-speed flying and now I was forced to the ground. Whenever I looked back all I saw of his face was a flash of blonde between the branches-his hair, I was sure._

_Total, who was I was holding securely in my arms, didn't make a peep. He merely stared at me with an expression that said_ move it or we lose it. _So I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. _

_Yet, as I ran, I had the feeling that he wasn't as much chasing me as he was trying to tired me out and make me vulnerable. Like he was simply keeping up but staying just out of seeing range so I would feel pressured to move faster and faster until my energy ran out and I collapsed. Then, he could do whatever he wanted with me, whether it was kill me or kidnap me. I didn't really know which he wanted. _

_And I didn't want to find out._

Sweet, right? And don't _you_, forget to review! More rhyming! Gah!

I think I'll join chorus and sing all day! Listen to these bad boys, please!

_Fall_ _For Anything by The Script_ (it's really good yet I've never heard it on the radio! It's a shame! A shame!)

_Raise Your Glass by Pink_ (Woo-hoo, brand new Pink!)

_Pull Me Closer To Love by Mat Kearney_ (If you want to look up the anime slideshow of the song with a couple that has cat ears-I love that anime slideshow.)

_If You See Kay by The Script_

_Power by Kanye West_

_Guess Who's Back/Without Me by Eminem _(His old stuff is funny as hell. Me and Rachel, my bus buddy, laugh our asses off listening to it)

_Paramore's CrushCrushCrush played with classical instruments by the Vitamin String Quartet _(OK, well if you didn't know the Vitamin String Quartet is this group that plays current day songs by current day artists-example Lady GaGa, Paramore, Panic at the Disco, Linkin Park, the Killers-with classical instruments like violin, cello, ect. They're really good, and I've gotten addicted since my friend-Rachel again-starting listening to it on her I-pod on the bus ride home every day. I'd never think I'd like classical music yet this stuff is familiar and pretty good. I can sing the song's lyrics with the instruments. But that's just me being a nerd, so forget I said that. Try and look them up-you'll be surprised by all the song's they've done.)

Thank you all for waiting. I hope you haven't been disappointed by the wait! I had to make it perfect before I sent it out!

~Sweevil Out!


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